Bedard rookie predictions

[Fatass]

He was 20 and if you think being two inches shorter is going to stop Bedard from being effective when a player like St. Louis won 2 scoring titles in this league at unconventional ages like 28 and 37, I don’t know what to tell you.

St. Louis was a way better skater than Bedard. Imo Bedard will be great on the PP but struggle at 5 on 5.

 

[Video Nasty]

St. Louis was a way better skater than Bedard. Imo Bedard will be great on the PP but struggle at 5 on 5.

I can see the myth of Bedard not being a fantastic skater has really taken hold on these forums.

 

[Fatass]

I can see the myth of Bedard not being a fantastic skater has really taken hold on these forums.

He’s not a great skater though. He is a lot like Dionne was. Very good in small spaces but not great in straight line speed.

 

[Happyhary9]

I can see the myth of Bedard not being a fantastic skater has really taken hold on these forums.

It shows me that there is a lot of posters who don't understand all the aspects of skating. They basically think that straight line speed is all that counts.

 

[Happyhary9]

He’s not a great skater though. He is a lot like Dionne was. Very good in small spaces but not great in straight line speed.

He is still above average at straight line speed. He has elite balance. He is a very good skater. Combined with an elite puck handling so he doesn't lose speed with the puck. It is absolutely nonsense to think his skating will effect him at 5 on 5.

 

[Fatass]

He is still above average at straight line speed. He has elite balance. He is a very good skater. Combined with an elite puck handling so he doesn't lose speed with the puck. It is absolutely nonsense to think his skating will effect him at 5 on 5.

Dionne scored nearly 1800 points. Bedard will score a lot too. Not too sure centre is a good spot for him in the NHL. It will be a struggle for him to get up the ice. Best start him on the wing where he can transition from defending to attacking from higher in the D zone.

 

[Happyhary9]

Dionne scored nearly 1800 points. Bedard will score a lot too. Not too sure centre is a good spot for him in the NHL. It will be a struggle for him to get up the ice. Best start him on the wing where he can transition from defending to attacking from higher in the D zone.

What? He has zero issues getting up ice. He is absolutely amazing at entering the zone. Only question ever about him playing center was from a size/strength from a defense stand point. Which was pretty much all put to bed at the combine, when he weighed in at 185, and well above average in the strength comps. He is a very similar is size/build and skating to Crosby. Kid is also only 17 still.

Here is scouting report on Bedard's skating.
Skating
Bedard is a very good skater. While he is not the best skater in this draft class, he is still in the top echelon. He has a very good first step and excellent acceleration. Bedard can fool defenders with his ability to change speeds both with and without the puck. While he is not an absolute speedster, Bedard still skates well enough to create off the rush. His ability to control the puck and make plays while moving at top speed makes him seem even faster. He also has very good edgework and agility. Bedard can weave in and out of traffic both with and without the puck. His low centre of gravity gives him excellent balance. It is very difficult to knock him off the puck. He is also able to win battles on the boards and in front of the net. This area of his game should only improve as he gains weight and muscle on his frame

Another scouting report with talk about his skating right here.
Because of his skating he’s able to gain the zone with ease, making him elite on the breakout and in possession. One thing that stands out when you watch Bedard play is his patience. He uses his elite skating and puck-handling to lull the defense to sleep and get into scoring lanes where he can get the puck past the goalie.

Were this nonsense started about him not being a top skater is beyond me. Yes he isn't a McDavid level skater, but overall is absolutely an upper echelon NHL skater.

 

[Zero Requiem]

Barzal is a poor comparison.

Barzal was 21, Bedard is 18.
Barzal was then 6 foot 0, plus, he is/was way better, stronger skater as well.

Why not just compare him to McDavid?

 

[blundluntman]

I still seriously think people predicting anything under 70 points are trying too hard to sound smart. Bedard is not your average draft prospect, he's been as good of a prospect as McDavid. Even if his ceiling isn't quite as high, his floor is at least equal afaic. That should translate to at least a ppg.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Projected by many to be the best player to come into the NHL since Gretzky. Wayne put up 104pts in his rookie season. I think Bedard does the same, more if Chicago decides to get him a better winger than Taylor Hall.

 

[NinjaTurtle]

I think he’ll get 72 pts. Big jump from junior to 1st line NHL. Bringing in Hall was a nice addition for veteran, offensive star tutelage, but any minor injury that takes him out for a week or two and 80-100 pts is completely out of the question.

 

[bigdog16]

Projected by many to be the best player to come into the NHL since Gretzky. Wayne put up 104pts in his rookie season. I think Bedard does the same, more if Chicago decides to get him a better winger than Taylor Hall.

This cant be a serious post

 

[Silky Johnson]

Doesn't play like it.
In the Jr's, he looked small, and that's against other kids.

Also, Sid had Mario and hyper-inflated power plays to prop up his rookie and sophomore seasons.

Sid was also a far superior talent as far as I have seen.

I don't know what you have seen to think Sid has far superior talent.

Sid put up 2.7 ppg on a VERY good team. Bedard put up 2.5ppg on a BAD team.

When up against the very best of their generation at the World Juniors, Connor put up one of the most dominant performances of all time and likely the most dominant for a draft year player.

When Sid played his draft year world juniors he put up 39% the points as Connor. He was 4th on his won team and 7th in the tournament in scoring.

I love Sid but Connor has the better pre-draft resume.

 

[Zero Requiem]

Projected by many to be the best player to come into the NHL since Gretzky. Wayne put up 104pts in his rookie season. I think Bedard does the same, more if Chicago decides to get him a better winger than Taylor Hall.

Gretzky had 137 points as a rookie, not sure where you're getting 104 points from. He also had 110 points in the WHA at age 17.

 

[Hockeyholic]

well if there ever were a third one to do it, wouldn't this be the guy?

I think only Oil and Pens fans would truly understand that an 18 year old rookie can step in and dominate right away. If Bedard is like McDavid/Crosby, he'll show it. I think he'll be a top 10 player immediately

I don't think McDavid necessarily dominated in his rookie season. He was very good though.

We will never know if he reaches 100 points because of the injury etc.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Projected by many to be the best player to come into the NHL since Gretzky. Wayne put up 104pts in his rookie season. I think Bedard does the same, more if Chicago decides to get him a better winger than Taylor Hall.

I'm assuming this is satire.

Gretzky scored 137 points in his first NHL, not WHA, season.

Gretzky had 137 points as a rookie, not sure where you're getting 104 points from. He also had 110 points in the WHA at age 17.

Gretzky's first WHA, not NHL, season in Edmonton. You are correct on the 137 point mark.

 

[monkforasia]

Think 80-90 points. 100+ wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Zero Requiem]

I'm assuming this is satire.

Gretzky scored 137 points in his first NHL, not WHA, season.


Gretzky's first WHA, not NHL, season in Edmonton. You are correct on the 137 point mark.

That still puts him at 110 points, not 104. Unless there's some good reason to ignore the games that he played for the Indianapolis Racers?

 

[authentic]

Dionne scored nearly 1800 points. Bedard will score a lot too. Not too sure centre is a good spot for him in the NHL. It will be a struggle for him to get up the ice. Best start him on the wing where he can transition from defending to attacking from higher in the D zone.

Dude go watch a quick highlight video of him, this is an insane comment considering you have guys like John Tavares playing center and still scoring at a point per game in his 30s.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I don't know what you have seen to think Sid has far superior talent.

Sid put up 2.7 ppg on a VERY good team. Bedard put up 2.5ppg on a BAD team.

When up against the very best of their generation at the World Juniors, Connor put up one of the most dominant performances of all time and likely the most dominant for a draft year player.

When Sid played his draft year world juniors he put up 39% the points as Connor. He was 4th on his won team and 7th in the tournament in scoring.

I love Sid but Connor has the better pre-draft resume.

Part of it is projecting how their skills translate to the NHL. Bedard is obviously the better goal scoring talent, but he's not the playmaker that Crosby or McDavid are. He's also smaller and his skating isn't as good. Crosby was already very strong on his skates and along the boards as an 18 year old. He could have played in the NHL at 16. As is Crosby had the best 18 year old season in NHL history. Expecting that from Bedard is going to result in disappointment imo.

 

[authentic]

I don't think McDavid necessarily dominated in his rookie season. He was very good though.

We will never know if he reaches 100 points because of the injury etc.

McDavid was 3rd in points per game in his rookie season, and played just over half the season. He was only getting better as the season went on and that was after missing months with injury as he had 11 points in his first 12 games before getting injured.

Part of it is projecting how their skills translate to the NHL. Bedard is obviously the better goal scoring talent, but he's not the playmaker that Crosby or McDavid are. He's also smaller and his skating isn't as good. Crosby was already very strong on his skates and along the boards as an 18 year old. He could have played in the NHL at 16. As is Crosby had the best 18 year old season in NHL history. Expecting that from Bedard is going to result in disappointment imo.

Connor Bedard is extremely hard to knock off the puck as well. Not quite like Crosby but a lot more of the game today is played in transition so he doesn't have to have anywhere close to Crosby's boardwork anyway. I think on the flipside people who believe there's no way he comes close to Crosby's rookie year may also be in for a shock.

 

[authentic]

I still seriously think people predicting anything under 70 points are trying too hard to sound smart. Bedard is not your average draft prospect, he's been as good of a prospect as McDavid. Even if his ceiling isn't quite as high, his floor is at least equal afaic. That should translate to at least a ppg.

Doesn't sound very smart to me, but yeah if he disappoints they will certainly be there to say they told you so. Only way that happens is if he's injured though.

 

[cmich72234]

Did Crosby and McDavid have this many haters when they came into the league, or is this a Hawks thing? I see so many people rooting against Bedard.

 

[OKR]

Did Crosby and McDavid have this many haters when they came into the league, or is this a Hawks thing? I see so many people rooting against Bedard.

No, people just didn’t consider everyone who thought they won’t necessary score 80+ in their first season as a hater…

 

[leafsfan2point0]

39 goals 68 points