Blackhawks Lock Down Future, Canadiens Hunt Center | Montreal Canadiens News

Chicago Blackhawks lock in Connor Bedard with a five-year, $15M cap hit extension, pairing him with Bowen Byram’s new six-year, $12.5M deal — a $27.5M commitment to their top forward and projected No. 1 defenseman. Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens are focused on filling their critical second-line center void, realizing Kirby Dach’s role is better suited for the bottom-six. Despite playoff losses to Carolina and lacking a true No. 2 center, the young Canadiens gained invaluable experience — including multiple Game 7s — and are expected to “run it back” this season, letting their roster grow and evolve naturally as they continue developing stars like Jacob Dobes. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/20d0ea3674e0c04f