Prospect Info: Bedard Topic 2

[Chuck Testa]

yes and if you move bedard to wing for 20 games you can never again play him at center, those are the rules...kane moved off wing in 2012 to try center and he never went back to wing, its crazy, like he completely forgot how to play the position

I remember those times... then a few years after that he won the Hart Trophy, as a defenseman.

 

[SimpleJack]

I don’t see any reason for Bedard to be moved to wing. Maybe if he was struggling big time and needed something major to switch things up and try to get himself going but this isn’t the case….he’s actually been playing pretty well since the coaching change, he’s easily our best player…you keep him at C and let him learn and grow. A position change right now would only cause a wave of unwanted “what’s wrong with Bedard?” chatter.

 

[Crow]

Might make more sense if he wasn’t by far the best center on the team.

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

Might make more sense if he wasn’t by far the best center on the team.

Or if he wasn't playing W (at least) half the time in the D zone now anyway.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Just for the sake of relevant data...

Kane's first two seasons in the league (0708 & 08/09) he had 21 G 51 A in 82 games and 25G 45 A in 80 games respectively. League scoring in those years was 2.72 and 2.85. In Bedard's first two seasons it's been 3.08 and 2.98 respectively.

Where the difference lays between higher league scoring for Kane and much worse quality teammates for Bedard is remains to be seen. I've been seeing Bedard's numbers compared to Kane's more frequently lately and I thought it was worth pointing out.

I don't know whether Bedard should be put at W yet or if ever. It's really premature to say until we get some more talent for this kid to play with. He's unarguably very talented and not playing with anyone close to his talent level. Maybe if he gets switched to wing in a season or two he'll have spent his first 3-4 years learning some proper defense at Center.

 

[Crow]

Just for the sake of relevant data...

Kane's first two seasons in the league (0708 & 08/09) he had 21 G 51 A in 82 games and 25G 45 A in 80 games respectively. League scoring in those years was 2.72 and 2.85. In Bedard's first two seasons it's been 3.08 and 2.98 respectively.

Where the difference lays between higher league scoring for Kane and much worse quality teammates for Bedard is remains to be seen. I've been seeing Bedard's numbers compared to Kane's more frequently lately and I thought it was worth pointing out.

I don't know whether Bedard should be put at W yet or if ever. It's really premature to say until we get some more talent for this kid to play with. He's unarguably very talented and not playing with anyone close to his talent level. Maybe if he gets switched to wing in a season or two he'll have spent his first 3-4 years learning some proper defense at Center.

To me the league scoring is very much secondary to team scoring. Both are relevant to an extent. The NHL as a whole being a higher league is probably due to power plays called and goalie equipment being a bit smaller. Apparently Bedard can’t buy a power play though.

 

[Crow]

Thinking about this a little more, the team scoring already should account for the league scoring changes. You could say this whole team now, would have scored even less (somehow) in a league where kane was a teenager theoretically. It just depends which side you are looking at things from.

 

[statswatcher]

i was doing a spreadsheet looking at the top 10 seasons by 19 year olds in terms of pts/60 and comparing league and team average scoring for each season but i didn't save it and i can't be assed to redo it right now. one thing i remember that i found pretty funny is that bedard is currently averaging roughly the same amount of points per 60 as the hawks average goals as a team per game (crosby in his 19yo season averaged more than a point per 60 above his team's collective goal scoring rate lmao). also of them, only stamkos, clayton keller, and bedard were playing on below league average offenses.

 

[TLEH]

Plots been lost atleast on my point. Im advocating him for wing purely because I think his skills will be better there and we’ll get the most out of him. Not because I don’t love the kid.

 

[WarriorofTime]

To me the league scoring is very much secondary to team scoring. Both are relevant to an extent. The NHL as a whole being a higher league is probably due to power plays called and goalie equipment being a bit smaller. Apparently Bedard can’t buy a power play though.

We very much saw what the Bedard less Hawks from his rookie year looked like in such a high scoring league environment (higher than this year). So one couldn’t even make the argument about the premiere ice time. There just was not any goals to be had when he was out with a broken jaw. It’d be a bit more improved this year on margins with TT and Bertuzzi but not significantly so as there is a reason they received the middle class contracts they signed with Chicago instead of big money deals on contenders. The Hawks just don’t have the kind of offensive talent in their top six to take advantage of an overall higher scoring league.

 

[BHawks77]

Plots been lost atleast on my point. Im advocating him for wing purely because I think his skills will be better there and we’ll get the most out of him. Not because I don’t love the kid.

Agree to disagree on that and that is fine. Maybe we see Bedard on the wing some day, but I think Chicago really needs to find strong 1C and 2C for that to happen.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Plots been lost atleast on my point. Im advocating him for wing purely because I think his skills will be better there and we’ll get the most out of him. Not because I don’t love the kid.

there is also no downside to giving him run of 20+ games at wing and see what the splits are offensively, its not like the suggestion is to put him at defense or send him to rockford

 

[MarotteMarauder]

Let's just keep it simple. Kane had figured in 29% of Hawks' goals his 1st 2 seasons. Bedard has figured in 34% of Hawks' goals his 1st 2 seasons (to date)

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Greg Boysen on last night’s CHGO postgame. Thoughts?

Two years in, I'm ready for next season, let's get him on the wing.

Let's just take away the center of responsibility for him. If you can't do it through two years, we can re… we can circle back and revisit it when he's bigger, stronger, faster, and more responsible.

Connor Bedard was not drafted to win Selke trophies. Connor Bedard was drafted to win Hart trophies and Rocket Richard trophies. And if he becomes a serviceable 200-foot player along the way, awesome.

If he is hell-bent on becoming a Selke finalist in the back half of his career, even better. But he wasn't drafted to be Patrice Bergeron.

 

[GIADF]

Greg Boysen on last night’s CHGO postgame. Thoughts?

That's basically where I'm at. I'd love to see them give Nazar 5 games as Bedard's center and let him use that speed to open the ice up for Bedard.

 

[Hawkaholic]

An all kid line would be great, let them grow together.

Slaggert Nazar Bedard

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Greg Boysen on last night’s CHGO postgame. Thoughts?

Greg Boysen is a moron. Too bad they brought him back part time.

But let’s play a game, who will be the centers for the Hawks next year? Currently it’s Bedard and Dickinson. Nazar is a maybe, he’s playing wing but will have to play center with Dicky out. Reichel is doing some as well, but again, not ideal.

Where are these centers coming from? Moore, Greene and Thompson if he signs won’t be ready. Hagens or Misa good shot they both do a year of college.

Free agency isn’t any better. All the top ones are wingers. So now you gotta go find something in a trade, far from a guarantee.

You can’t be flying by the seat of your pants on the center position. Bedard can play wing a bit when the hawks have a wealth of centers. Right now, they have the exact opposite.

 

[GIADF]

You could sign Sam Bennett and trying rolling something like....

Slaggert-Nazar-Bedard
TT-Bennett-Bertuzzi
XXX-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Foligno-Reichel-Dach

I would still push for a better top line winger to play with Bedard and Nazar, but Slaggert's speed and forechecking might work on that line.

I feel like I'm forgetting someone....

 

[CallMeShaft]

Greg Boysen on last night’s CHGO postgame. Thoughts?

I'm not huge on Greg's opinions. I generally prefer Mario and Jay, and even them, I'm a bit iffy on.

Greg saying this right after a game where Dickinson got a noticeable injury makes this take even worse. Should we just move everyone to wing and not have any centers?

 

[GIADF]

I'm not huge on Greg's opinions. I generally prefer Mario and Jay, and even them, I'm a bit iffy on.

Greg saying this right after a game where Dickinson got a noticeable injury makes this take even worse. Should we just move everyone to wing and not have any centers?

It's a lost season in which they'll finish dead last or second to last. What is the harm in letting him play a few games at wing to see if it unleashes a new level of offense from him?

It's not like he's playing well defensively, or winning draws as is. Let Nazar center him for a few games and see what happens.

 

[CallMeShaft]

It's a lost season in which they'll finish dead last or second to last. What is the harm in letting him play a few games at wing to see if it unleashes a new level of offense from him?

It's not like he's playing well defensively, or winning draws as is. Let Nazar center him for a few games and see what happens.

I think the odds are good Nazar is going to have to center his own line away from Bedard for a lot of the remaining season. Again, Dickinson just got injured and will likely miss a lot of time. That means anyone who feels they are a natural center (including Bedard and Nazar) are probably going to play there.

I've been adamant why I don't care to see him at wing in general, at least on this current roster, and will not bother to rehash all that again.

And this conversation comes after he had a good game, at center, against the reigning Conn Smythe winner (quote from The Athletic):

The Blackhawks’ line of Ryan Donato, Bedard and Landon Slaggert was a big reason for the Blackhawks’ analytical success. Despite often going up against Connor McDavid’s line, Bedard’s line had a 14-7 edge in shot attempts, 6-3 in shots on goal, 8-3 in scoring chances and 1-0 in goals while on the ice.

 

[Fortyfives]

 

[Sinbad]

It's a lost season in which they'll finish dead last or second to last. What is the harm in letting him play a few games at wing to see if it unleashes a new level of offense from him?

It's not like he's playing well defensively, or winning draws as is. Let Nazar center him for a few games and see what happens.

My counter would be, it’s a lost season so let’s leave him at centre to continue to learn at the most valuable forward position. If down the road you find more competent options in the middle you move Bedard over at that point.

Honestly people need to take a step back and relax, Bedard is fine. Given the crap he has had to deal with, the scrutiny of being the #1 OA selection and projected generational talent, the disgusting bs rumours from last season about his mother, being called out by Roenick for not fist pumping, now the daily hot takes by has beens or never was ex players dissecting his game… it’s truly embarrassing how poorly this young man is being treated.

Bedard is 19 (still the 2nd youngest player in the league) playing AND succeeding in the best hockey league in the world. Does his game have holes? Of course, again he is 19 but if you are not noticing the improvements on basically a game by game basis then you just aren’t watching closely enough.

 

[SimpleJack]

My counter would be, it’s a lost season so let’s leave him at centre to continue to learn at the most valuable forward position. If down the road you find more competent options in the middle you move Bedard over at that point.

Honestly people need to take a step back and relax, Bedard is fine. Given the crap he has had to deal with, the scrutiny of being the #1 OA selection and projected generational talent, the disgusting bs rumours from last season about his mother, being called out by Roenick for not fist pumping, now the daily hot takes by has beens or never was ex players dissecting his game… it’s truly embarrassing how poorly this young man is being treated.

Bedard is 19 (still the 2nd youngest player in the league) playing AND succeeding in the best hockey league in the world. Does his game have holes? Of course, again he is 19 but if you are not noticing the improvements on basically a game by game basis then you just aren’t watching closely enough.

Excellent stuff here. You should post more often.

 

[SimpleJack]

The endless misinformation and BS in all these Bedard-bashing threads on the main boards just keeps spreading and spreading. And there’s so much of it that, if you didn’t know any better, you’re gonna start thinking it’s true/fact. All that hype + him being drafted by the most hated team in the league has all the salty fans of opposing teams lining up to take their shot. Disgusting. Human beings are so incredibly flawed.