The Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson in December, and Anders Sörensen has been at the helm on an interim basis since. Davidson needs to hire a permanent head coach, and he also has to decide if he wants to re-sign Connor Bedard early.

Bedard, who has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, will become eligible for an extension July 1. He made it clear during exit interviews Thursday he intends to sign one.

Connor Bedard faced his share of challenges in a turbulent season for the Chicago Blackhawks. A second straight campaign left the Hawks near the bottom of the league. Bedard went through a coaching change,