The Chicago Blackhawks are hoping for Connor Bedard to continue building on all that he has done.
When Connor Bedard played for the Regina Pats and Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, he put up numbers that earned him a “generational talent” label. As a result, he was the consensus number one pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Whenever you get that type of tag, people expect Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews in year one. The truth of the matter is that dominating like that as an 18-year-old is not likely. In fact, it’s unlikely in almost every situation.
For other number one picks like Nathan MacKinnon, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier, it took multiple years for them to become the superstars that they are today. It doesn’t happen overnight, no matter how skilled the individual is.
Although he is still far away from being a finished project, Bedard is starting to turn a corner. Based on his performance through the first five games of the season, he looks like a superstar. His two goals and four assists for six points in those five games have him amongst the best in the NHL through the first week of the season.
Bedard’s body language and effort on the back check have improved significantly. That part of his game was criticized last year, but there isn't much anyone can say right now. Observers know he has a lethal shot and great ability to make plays, but you need to be committed to a winning brand of hockey if you want to be considered one of the best centers in the world.
Whether it’s on the ice or off, Connor Bedard’s confidence is oozing. He looks like the player/leader who will change a franchise’s fortunes around after years of struggles.
“I know I’m a good hockey player,” Connor Bedard said during a postgame interview on TNT. Paired with Nazar, Bedard was not scared to say how he feels about his game.
“We don’t want to win in three years, we want to win now,” Connor Bedard said of the team as a whole. Those are big words for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in a few years. These young players, however, don’t care about the past. They want to make the playoffs and build on their own legacies.
Bedard’s belief in himself is paramount to the development of the team. You don’t make the plays that he has in recent games without knowing you could pull it off. Now that he’s willing to say it out loud, expect the upward trajectory to continue.
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