Statistically Connor Bedard wasn't the "best in show" at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. He's still the best player in the 2023 draft pool.
Don't let Connor Bedard's 17-year-old baby face fool you.
Same goes for his numbers at the 2023 NHL Scouting Combine.
We all knew the presumptive No 1. pick in the 2023 NHL draft was plenty quick, smart and agile. It turns out the kid is plenty strong and meaty too.
At the scouting combine in Buffalo, all eyes were on Bedard, the "next generational talent" forward the Blackhawks are expected to select with the top overall pick in Nashville on June 28. He joined about 100 top prospects from around the world for medical and fitness testing and an additional opportunity to interview one-on-one with NHL teams.
Bedard didn't "ace" any of the tests, but that doesn't matter.
The blend of intelligence, vision, hockey sense and X-factors that make elite hockey players successful at an elite level transcend numbers. Some of the greatest players off all time — Wayne Gretzky comes to mind — might have fizzled on fitness tests.
Bedard measured in at 5-foot-9 3/4 and 185 pounds. His body fat came in at a 7.82%, 14th lowest in the group. Then the slick forward participated in a series of about 20 tests with the other prospects.
Bedard and his strong arms ripped off 14 quick pull-ups in Buffalo. Only one prospect managed more.Bedard ripped off 14 pull-ups to tie for second among the group.
He came in 10th in anaerobic fitness fatigue testing, a measure that's important in hockey's high-intensity skating with lots of starts, stops and turns that cause a (hard-working) player's leg muscles to "burn." If anyone says a hockey player "glides," the person saying it is: 1) an observer who's never skated or 2) a coach criticizing their player.
Bedard also came in high in a functional movement screen (FMS) that evaluates a mobility and stability via seven movement tests: deep squat, hurdle step, inline lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability pushup and rotary stability
A good summary of the testing can be found at:https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/2023-nhl-combine-results-top-10-prospects-in-every-drill/
Bottom line: These tests are partly for show and discussion. All of these players are super-talented.
.