One goal. Four assists. A team-leading five points and 16 shots in four games. About 20 minutes of ice time per contest. This Connor Bedard move didn't work... [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMzEyMjI2MTM5NzExNDYx/screen-shot-2023-10-06-at-52548-pm.png] This Connor Bedard move didn't work... To top it off, a theatrical miss on a shootout attempt against Minnesota on Thursday night . No, those junior hockey moves — even from the runaway CHL Player of the Year — might not work against the likes of Wild goalie Marc-André Fleury. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zlXfMXHd3I [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zlXfMXHd3I] Let's call it a first preseason for Connor Bedard. The Blackhawks rookie center won't play in Chicago's sixth and final exhibition game on Saturday against the Blues in St. Louis. There's little question Bedard is going to, on balance, do just fine for the Blackhawks this season. But the NHL's top draft pick of 2023 faces a learning curve, says coach Luke Richardson, even if he'll probably be a quick study. See the video below: Luke Richardson talks about Connor Bedard's preseason and expectations, including defensive play. Also sitting out on Saturday are veterans Taylor Hall, Seth Jones, Corey Perry, Tyler Johnson and Connor Murphy. OTHER BLACKHAWKS ON THE BUBBLE Saturday's game will offer a chance for some young Chicago players to make their case for a roster spot, while others tune up. Richardson said he'll tell players on Saturday night or Sunday if they'll start the season with the Blackhawks or be sent down to AHL Rockford or their junior teams. Richardson wants to give 6-foot-4, 200-pound forward Colton Dach a closer look after Dach sat out Thursday with an undisclosed injury (maintenance). The 20-year-old can shoot, play physically and may be the closest thing the Blackhawks have to a potential power forward. Dach is slated to skate on Saturday's "top-line" with center Lukas Reichel and Andreas Athanasiou, who returns after an illness. Ranked in the Blackhawks top 10 prospects by our THN scouting panel, Chicago drafted Dach, the younger brother of Montréal's Kirby, in the second round (62nd overall) in 2021. Other storylines for Saturday: * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined
