It’s been exactly three weeks since Connor Bedard made one of the most highly anticipated debuts in the history of hockey, and the first month of the Blackhawks’ season is now officially in the books. Bedard got the unique pleasure of facing off against some of the most talented teams in the NHL in his first nine games, and while he has yet to find a “vintage moment” of sorts, the 18-year-old has enjoyed a tremendous start to his season. Bedard has seemingly improved his game on every single shift, and he’s helping lead his young team in more ways than ever.
Perhaps one of the finest moments from Bedard’s young career came in last night’s 8-1 loss in Arizona. After fellow youngster Kevin Korchinski got the puck on his stick in the offensive zone on their first possession of the game, he fired it to a streaking Bedard, who fired it in top-shelf without hesitation. The beautiful play could be the first of many for years to come.
In the first period of that game, the Blackhawks had a 14-2 shot advantage when Bedard was on the ice. He’s grown increasingly dominant throughout the season, and his line is much more proficient than in his debut. Though Bedard is still adjusting to the professional game, it’s clear he continues to improve. David Gregory of NHL Central Scouting says the trajectory of that improvement could shock everyone.
“He learns from every shift, and I think we’re just going to be blown away by what we’re seeing 20 games in… certainly by the midway point of the season and beyond.”
– David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting
Bedard leads the team in goals (4) and points (6), which isn’t a huge surprise given the hype he received coming out of junior hockey. But his offensive impact goes beyond the scoring column – opposing defenses have to gameplan around him, a rare situation for rookies. Every move he’s made has been tightly contested, yet Bedard still manages to drive the offense and create scoring chances.
Record-setting performances
Bedard has lived up to his billing so far as the best rookie in his class. He’s the rookie leader in goals, ice time (for forwards), and shots on goal, and ranks second with six takeaways. Beyond just his class, Bedard is rewriting the record books on a nightly basis. He was the youngest player to record a point in his NHL debut in ten years and the second-youngest to do so in Blackhawks history. He’s the youngest player to score in the United Center’s history. He also became the youngest player in NHL history with a goal in the first 30 seconds of a game with last night’s marker in Arizona. The list goes on with several more “youngest player in NHL history” records. The youngster is doing things no one has ever seen before.
Room for Improvement
Despite his success throughout October, no one wants Bedard to improve more than himself. The best way for him to do so now is no surprise: winning faceoffs.
So far this year, Bedard has won 37.7% of his draws. That number is bound to improve with time, as the faceoff learning curve is often one of the toughest for rookies. It’s certainly not an issue yet, but to be fair, it’s hard to pick apart Bedard’s game. He’s met every expectation so far and has vastly improved the offense in Chicago. While Bedard’s game hasn’t been completely perfect, he’s already proven why he’s one of the most highly touted prospects of all time.
