Connor Bedard's new contract in Chicago has Vancouver Canucks fans already dreaming about 2031.
The reaction started almost immediately after news broke of Bedard's five-year, $75 million deal, spotted and highlighted by Canucks Army's David Quadrelli.
Bedard is a North Vancouver kid, and that hometown detail is exactly why local fans jumped straight to a future scenario nobody has actually reported.
The math behind the daydream is simple enough. Bedard's contract runs through his age-25 season, meaning he hits unrestricted free agency right as he enters his prime.
The idea only works if Vancouver's rebuild actually pays off by then, with a competitive roster, real cap flexibility, and a culture worth choosing.
None of that is close to guaranteed. Chicago drafted Bedard first overall and has already built its long-term plan around keeping him happy.
Vancouver's own rebuild has to earn that shot first
Vancouver's own recent moves are the actual foundation for that kind of hope, whether or not Bedard ever factors into it.
The Canucks hired Manny Malhotra as head coach this summer and brought in Ryan Papaioannou to run their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.
Prospects like Tom Willander and Ryan St-Louis are already part of that rebuild, giving the organization actual young pieces to build a culture around.
This past season gave fans little to point to in the standings. Vancouver finished dead last in the league at 25-49-8, with a minus-100 goal differential.
Superstars rarely leave winning situations, and if Chicago builds a real contender around Bedard, this scenario may never even become a real conversation.
Fans in Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal have made the same kind of wish about their own homegrown or adopted stars, so Vancouver is hardly unique here.
The original piece from The Hockey Writers lays out the full case for why fans latched onto this idea.
Nobody actually knows where Bedard plays in 2031, but the fact that Vancouver fans are already planning that far ahead says plenty about what they hope this rebuild becomes.
Source: Canucks Fans' Perfect 2031 Plan: Build a Team Connor Bedard Wants to Join
Do you actually believe Connor Bedard ends up with the Canucks in 2031?
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