The Blackhawks captain has been out since offseason shoulder surgery on July 8 and could face Sidney Crosby's Penguins on Tuesday.
Connor Bedard has not played a single game for Chicago this season, but that looks ready to change. The 21-year-old injured his left shoulder during an offseason on-ice training session and underwent surgery on July 8, sidelining the newly named Blackhawks captain for the start of the year.
Head coach Jeff Blashill addressed Bedard's status on Monday, saying the team has a morning skate before Tuesday's game but that Bedard is "trending" toward being available. If he suits up, it will be his first appearance of the season, and it comes against a marquee opponent in Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
Bedard had initially been expected to miss roughly a month of the season. Getting him back on this timeline would be a quicker turnaround than first anticipated. For a Blackhawks team still building around its young core, having the captain back in the lineup, even for a game against a future Hall of Famer like Crosby, matters well beyond the final score.
Chicago will confirm Bedard's availability after Tuesday's morning skate.