The National Hockey League named Connor Bedard a top-50 player on Sunday night.
The National Hockey League has already listed its top 10 goalies, top 20 defensemen, top 20 wingers, and top 20 centers. Not everyone who made one of those lists is going to crack their list of the top 50 players, but the NHL is releasing a list made up of those previous lists put together.
Numbers 50-41 were revealed on Sunday night. Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard was on the list, checking in at number 44. Bedard was the only Blackhawks player to make one of the position-based lists, so it is correct to assume that he is the only one who will appear in the top 50.
The NHL is incredibly deep with talent, so Bedard is surrounded by accomplished superstars in this realm of the list. Stanley Cup champions like Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, and Sam Reinhart are ranked between 41 and 50, along with other team leaders like Nico Hischier, Wyatt Johnston, and Charlie McAvoy.
Bedard wasn't on this list a year ago, so his 30-goal, point-per-game 2025-26 season made enough noise to get the attention of the folks who vote on it. His totals in 2026-27 will largely depend on how much time he misses from his shoulder injury at the start of the season, but his quality of play should take another step in year 4 of his NHL career.
When Bedard is on the ice, he will have more support than he’s ever had at this level. At even strength, they will figure out which wingers make the most sense for him, but you can expect to see him on the top power-play unit with Patrick Kane and Bowen Byram. Beyond those three, there will be changing parts all throughout the year.
This is far from the last time that Bedard will crack this list. In fact, this may be the lowest he will finish for the next decade or more. He has the potential to become a top-10 to 15 guy in the league. Only time will tell how long it takes to get there.
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