This one is a no-brainer for the Blackhawks center and NHL's leading rookie scorer of 2023-24.
It only make sense. Connor Bedard, the 2024 Calder Trophy winner as NHL's rookie of the year, also was named to the league's All-Rookie Team on Thursday.
The 18-year-old Bedard is the youngest Blackhawk to be named to the All-Rookie Team and win the Calder.
With 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games, the center led Chicago and NHL rookies in scoring in 2023-24. He also topped all first-year forwards with an average time-on-ice per game of 19:47
Bedard is the 14th Blackhawks player and first since Dominik Kubalik in 2019-20 to earn All-Rookie Team honors.
He is joined on the All-Rookie Team by Utah forward Logan Cooley, New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi and defenseman Brock Faber, and Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Bedard was selected by Chicago with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.