Prospect Info: Bedard Topic 2

[TLEH]

I honestly think most people on this site are brutal at actually evaluating skating. Like, sure he can improve on it (I personally think it is more of an endurance issue), but when people are saying that he lacks agility I honestly just have to shake my head.

I think it could be an endurance issue but in general I think his skating is just adequate, not elite like some of other truly top guys. People have been saying that since junior it’s not like this is new.

It just makes him more reliant on teammates to create time and space for him, instead of him making his own time and space. People are having discussions about who to play with 98 to get him going when frankly it should be the other way around.

Also yeah his agility and edges are great, it’s the endurance, top end speed in transition that I notice most. I routinely see opposing centers glide through the neutral zone with very minimal effort in comparison.

I agree with the assessment someone made that it looks “taxing” for him.

 

[Pez68]

I honestly think most people on this site are brutal at actually evaluating skating. Like, sure he can improve on it (I personally think it is more of an endurance issue), but when people are saying that he lacks agility I honestly just have to shake my head.

Absolutely. Most people couldn't tell you what your inside and outside edges are, let alone competently evaluate skating. His "skating issues" appear to be 100% endurance right now.

 

[belfour30]

Hopefully he goes on a tear to end the season.

I'm rooting for ya, kid.

 

[SimpleJack]

I doubt it gets much worse than this for him, what we’re seeing now is bad Bedard. Just wait till we get good Bedard, cuz you can clearly tell it’s eventually going to happen for him. Maybe it takes a couple more years but the kid will no doubt be great. This is just a poor stretch by a 19 year old kid on a shit team. It’s ok to point out that he looks like trash right now but also fully understand that it’s silly to be worried about him big picture.

 

[belfour30]

I doubt it gets much worse than this for him, what we’re seeing now is bad Bedard. Just wait till we get good Bedard, cuz you can clearly tell it’s eventually going to happen for him. Maybe it takes a couple more years but the kid will no doubt be great. This is just a poor stretch by a 19 year old kid on a shit team. It’s ok to point out that he looks like trash right now but also fully understand that it’s silly to be worried about him big picture.

If he actually gets to 65 pts this year, with the line blender and two clueless coaches, then honestly that's fine.
How many teenagers put up 120 pts in their first two seasons?
Team sucks, linemates suck, etc.

Also, in your opinion, should he play with North-South guys like Kane?

I remember how when Kane would play with other talented players his linemates brains would melt.

 

[SimpleJack]

If he actually gets to 65 pts this year, with the line blender and two clueless coaches, then honestly that's fine.
How many teenagers put up 120 pts in their first two seasons?
Team sucks, linemates suck, etc.

Also, in your opinion, should he play with North-South guys like Kane?

I remember how when Kane would play with other talented players his linemates brains would melt.

Definitely get him going with someone who can get the puck up the ice and into the Ozone with ease/quickly. Get him away from having 100% of the puck carrying/distribution responsibilities. I'd also like to see his other winger be someone who can provide physicality and net front presence(but also elite hands and ability to put away rebounds and finish with ease close to goal). That would be my ideal line combo for Bedard when he eventually matures at C.

Another way to look at this current situation is...according to all these posts we've got this skinny, weak, frail kid who can't skate, can't play a lick of D, can't get his shot off quick enough, cant win a face-off to save his life, is upset about recent roster transactions, dealt with mid-season coaching change, has the worst roster in the league around him, etc, etc, etc, etc.....and yet at the same exact time he's producing at the same level as Patrick Kane did at the same age with 10x the amount of help/quality talent around him. So yeah....he's gonna be fine.

 

[statswatcher]

How many teenagers put up 120 pts in their first two seasons?

exactly 12 players in nhl history have scored 120 or more points before age 20. only 13 have scored more than bedard has now. he only needs eight more points this season to tie kovalchuk.

 

[pvr]

He's been bad for a few weeks now. Not sure if it's him being tired (doesn't sound like he rested any during the break), or is nursing an injury, or if he's upset over the Jones situation (which Pat Boyle confirmed did rub some players here the wrong way). Whatever it is, it'd obviously be nice if he can snap out of it.

His skating isn't great, but it's fine. He's generally been the best, or among the best, here in the transition game. He's not a speedster like Jack Hughes is. He's a guy that often pulls up at the blue line and waits to hit a rushing teammate with a pass, similar to what Kane was known to do a lot here.

His speed won't hold him back from being an elite player. It didn't for Kane, or Kucherov, or Kaprizov. All of them are wingers and maybe that's where he winds up long term. I've personally been an advocate for him at center and felt that he's done well there at points this season.

Don't think him playing center or his overall skating is what's causing these issues the past few weeks, though. It hasn't been an issue before. Just gotta be patient with him and remember that he's a 19yo kid. I think most, though certainly not all, of us here know and have seen what he's capable of, so we can give him the benefit of the doubt a little bit. He'll be fine, even though he's not fine right now.

Kane was more shifty, changed speeds better, moved his feet faster, and certainly had an extra gear when he needed it to get by the defense. Allowed him to attack the net more easily. I feel mostly that Bedard needs to work on his foot speed. Just doesn’t turn them over as quickly. Can’t get separation. Bedard is agile in the offensive zone because his edges are good, and he can create some space there.

Also, Bedard looks like a winger right now (this and last season). Nothing wrong with that. He actually plays wing within a shift probably 30-40% of the time. Just keep him there full time for now and revisit center next season or the year after.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Kane was more shifty, changed speeds better, moved his feet faster, and certainly had an extra gear when he needed it to get by the defense. Allowed him to attack the net more easily. I feel mostly that Bedard needs to work on his foot speed. Just doesn’t turn them over as quickly. Can’t get separation. Bedard is agile in the offensive zone because his edges are good, and he can create some space there.

Also, Bedard looks like a winger right now (this and last season). Nothing wrong with that. He actually plays wing within a shift probably 30-40% of the time. Just keep him there full time for now and revisit center next season or the year after.

Kane hardly used his full straight ahead speed. He generally relied on his shiftyness to gain the zone and to get separation in the offensive zone.

Bedard is shifty. Maybe not quite as much as Kane, but he isn't far off from it. Think he's shown that element more when he was in Regina and World Juniors, but it's there.

Someone mentioned him potentially having a stamina problem right now and that's what I'm leaning towards.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

There's been this thing for a few years all over various media of "NHL doesn't promote it's stars well enough."

I feel like Bedard was caught right in the middle of that crap. Boom, our new barely 18 1C lining up against Crosby all night was a bit cringe whilst all the talking heads were "Bedard Bedard Bedard."

Partly on the Hawks but partly on the NHL. Not that you can't give him good ice time, but the lack of sheltering and baby steps in a team game against grown men I'm sure hasn't helped. Too much responsibility all at once.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Guys bedard sucks. Trade him now before he loses all value

 

[Darkstar]

Guys bedard sucks. Trade him now before he loses all value

I'm sure Musto can get us a 4th line grinder for him.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I'm sure Musto can get us a 4th line grinder for him.

Bedard is generational

4th line grinders are what I seek in exchange for bum Reichel, because a 4th line grinder would actually fulfill his duty unlike bum Reichel

 

[Darkstar]

Bedard is generational

4th line grinders are what I seek in exchange for bum Reichel, because a 4th line grinder would actually fulfill his duty unlike bum Reichel

 

[Chuck Testa]

Hopefully he goes on a tear to end the season.

I'm rooting for ya, kid.

Slap that fishbowl on him and I guarantee you he'll go nuclear.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

You notice what Bedard hasn't been doing lately? He's not floating up high & aimless in the D zone waiting to jump ahead. He's not trying to carve his way through 3 guys every rush. He's not the last man back. He's not acting oblivious to the other teams passing lanes. There's a huge adjustment there and either he plays the game right or we stat watch. These are necessary growing pains if you want him to be a complete player and I'd prefer we see that now than later.

He needs to adapt, period. Thinking he's going to do that and keep the same production is a very lofty headed expectation. There's a reason the NCAA or AHL or other middle leagues are the next step for 99% of players, we're just seeing that take place in the NHL and as long his game is getting cleaned up I'm fine with it.

 

[Chelios]

You notice what Bedard hasn't been doing lately? He's not floating up high & aimless in the D zone waiting to jump ahead. He's not trying to carve his way through 3 guys every rush. He's not the last man back. He's not acting oblivious to the other teams passing lanes. There's a huge adjustment there and either he plays the game right or we stat watch. These are necessary growing pains if you want him to be a complete player and I'd prefer we see that now than later.

He needs to adapt, period. Thinking he's going to do that and keep the same production is a very lofty headed expectation. There's a reason the NCAA or AHL or other middle leagues are the next step for 99% of players, we're just seeing that take place in the NHL and as long his game is getting cleaned up I'm fine with it.

Well said. I have noticed that as well. Positionally, defensively and at face-offs I feel like he has actually been playing a lot better, he is just not producing. Which is funny, because when he was producing everyone was pointing those things out as problems. The points will come. I am happy with the fact that he has made a concerted effort to be better in those areas, and it has happened within the season.

 

[Muffinalt]

Agree with you guys about the improved details.

Lucky the people who matter - Blackhawks personnel and org - aren't stats watching and will appreciate the improvements, which is all that matters.

 

[statswatcher]

Agree with you guys about the improved details.

Lucky the people who matter - Blackhawks personnel and org - aren't stats watching and will appreciate the improvements, which is all that matters.

for this statswatcher, bedard is having an exceptional teenaged nhl career, even if not "generational" as advertised. i don't have any worries about him. on the other hand, i think there's something to the idea that people let him off easy with the quality of teammates excuse. in the coming years he's going to need to find the consistency while being able to drive his own line. ppg going forward should be the baseline expectation for him, and he shouldn't need top shelf talent on his lielne to meet that floor. i don't worry that he can do that, but on the off chance he can't then i think a lot of assumptions we've been making about the future of this rebuild need to be re-thought.

 

[hawksfan50]

No..he lacks Power in his skating...to fight through checks...to not get knocked off balance so easily.. thatvisxwhatvnade Crosby great despite his short size. Bedardchasxto get stronger in his skates...gain speed with power strides not just lightweight skatibg.. Crosby coukd fight through xheckscat tipbsepoed and get to the middle skit..Bedardcisvnot or unable to do that..In Juniorscyou couldxdipsyvdoodlexaroubd checkers...much harder vs bigger stronger NHL pros ..so hevgets veered off to the perimeter or to behindvtge net instead of parking intgecmiddke slot.Endurance ?

Well maybe forvthev82cgane grind...but wexcannot say he is tired for periodsc1cand 2cand half ofvperiodc 3 then finally shows morecebergy for shifts in fibal 10 minutes of regulation.. and then run an endurance excuse....

But to be not hustlingb on back-checks after opps transition and attack the Hawks end, in first 2 peruods andd a half is more about lazy habits than endurance problems...ifvit was an endurance issue he shoukd be gassed not energized Finalky on shifts in final 10 minutes of regulation.

So not endurance...ratger a lack of power in his skating...making him look timid as if dreading to get hit by checkers..ifvhe had more power hecwoukdcgo directly at them and get past them or draw penalties.. thatvis not happening with him currently.
He needs to get more power I his legs..

 

[Pez68]

He should be left with TT and Bertuzzi for a week or two and see how they gel. The kid is never going to have success with different linemates every game.