A year ago, talk was that Connor Bedard might be able to produce at a point-per game or better as an 18-year-old rookie with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023-24. The previous first-year NHLer to click at that pace was Sidney Crosby, who ran up 39 goals and 102 points in 2005-06 at age 18 with Pittsburgh. That Penguins team finished at 22-46-14 and 58 points, not much better than the thin and injury depleted Blackhawks last season at 23-53-6 and 52 points. Connor Bedard keeps an eye on Sidney Crosby in the 2023-24 season opener in Pittsburgh. Bedard has some catching up to do. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA0MzY5NjkyMjkzMzQzMDA4/usatsi_21619987_168401008_lowres.jpg] Connor Bedard keeps an eye on Sidney Crosby in the 2023-24 season opener in Pittsburgh. Bedard has some catching up to do. Despite being billed as "hockey's next generational talent," Bedard didn't quite soar and start to dominate like Crosby did right off the bat. Although crafty, quick and slippery in close, Bedard doesn't have the flat-out speed Crosby has. The Blackhawks 5-foot-10 center often was contained last season, especially since opponents could focus on him given Chicago's thin lineup. BEDARD VS CROSBY AS ROOKIES Bedard finished with 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games to lead Chicago in scoring. Had he not missed 14 games with a broken jaw, the eventual Calder Trophy winner's numbers would have been higher. Bedard also would have benefitted from playing with legitimate top-6 forwards all season. Here are Bedard's numbers from 2023-24. He was held without a point in 26 games. He had one point in 30 games and 12 multi-point games. Fan in tears after Connor Bedard's OT goal vs Winnipeg on Dec. 27, 2023. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzMjkwNjc3MDU0ODA5Mjcw/screen-shot-2023-12-30-at-90946-pm.png] Fan in tears after Connor Bedard's OT goal vs Winnipeg on Dec. 27, 2023. Bedard topped out with a five-point contest (one goal, four assists) in a 7-2 rout of Anaheim on March 12 and a four-point night (two goals, two assists) in a big 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on Nov. 9. Bedard's most dramatic showing was on Dec. 27. He scored in regulation and then beat Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in overtime for a 2-1 win over the Jets that brought a teenage fan at the United Center to tears. BTW: Bedard did not record a hat trick last season, despite leading rookies in points and shots (206). Crosby didn't have a hat trick either as a rookie in 2005-06. He topped out with three, four-point games, plus eight-three point contests. Crosby had 29 multi-point efforts and 29 with one point. He was held off the scoresheet 22 times. Crosby had nearly twice as many point as the next Penguins scorer, defenseman Sergei Gonchar with 58, in '05-06. The goal that year was to surround Crosby with veterans, including 40-year-old Mario Lemieux who played 26 games in what turned out to be his final regular season. Also on the Pens were aging Mark Recchi and John Leclair, who were able to top 20 goals. Bedard didn't even have that much support after Taylor Hall was sidelined by a right ACL injury and surgery after 10 games. Hall, like Bedard a first-overall draft pick (2010) was supposed to rekindle some of the magic he enjoyed with 2017 first-round selection Nico Hischier with New Jersey in 2017-18. Taylor Hall joins in the celebration after Connor Bedard scored early in 2023-24 [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjYyNjMwNTA5Njg0MzY3/usatsi_21705340_168401008_lowres.jpg] Taylor Hall joins in the celebration after Connor Bedard scored early in 2023-24 Bedard clicked with Phillip Kurashev in Kurashev's breakout season that resulted in 18 goals and 54 points, second on Chicago. But the next highest scorer on the team was workmanlike de facto captain Nick Foligno, who posted 17 goals and 20 assists. Bedard found himself on lines with grinders like Ryan Donato and Tyler Johnson. SO WHAT'S AHEAD? Crosby, one of Bedard's idols, scored 36 goals and a league-leading 120 points as a second-year NHLer at age 19. His Penguins team improved enormously in 2006-07, climbing to 47-24-11 and 105 points. The 47-point jump was one of the biggest in league history. Blackhawks fans can hope. Hall, who turns 33 in November, has rehabbed hard an is ready to a big comeback in the final year of a four-year contact that pays $6 million annually. It's not just about the money, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner wants to show he's still a big-minutes, big producers after his role and minutes were reduced on a talent-loaded Boston team in 2022-23 Bedard said working on his skating at rinks in the Vancouver area — and building quickness in the gym — this summer was a priority. He's admitted he's envious and respects a dancing speed machine like Connor McDavid or the quick, powerful acceleration of Nathan MacKinnon. Even if Bedard may not be able to match those two, he will work at it until he's kicked off the rink. Connor Bedard won't give himself a letter grade for his rookie season. He's not happy with it. Other players around Bedard will be better too. Kurashev will want to trend upward as he heads into the second year of his two year contract with a $2.25 AAV that he won via arbitration last summer. He'll be an RFA with arbitration rights again in 2025. If he produces, look for general manager Kyle Davidson to get a leg up on a deal. Tyler Bertuzzi [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NTQ3MjE1MTMwOTI4NDEz/usatsi_23173805_168401008_lowres.jpg] Tyler Bertuzzi Thanks to free agent signings, the Blackhawks has added slick Teuvo Teravainen and gritty power forward Tyler Bertuzzi to their top-6 mix. Two-way center Jason Dickinson, who scored 22 goals last season, may toggle between shutting down other centers and creating offense himself. If speedy Andreas Athanasiou his healthy and focused an newcomer Ilya Mikhevev lives up to most of his $4.75 million AAV contract.... well, that would create not just more linemate options for Bedard, but new lines that can score. That means opponents wouldn't be able to key in on just Bedard.
