Prospect Info: Bedard Topic 2

[Pertti]

He's not. But the hype was ridiculous. Especially the BS about how unique his shot is. It's not.

His shot is special, how fast it goes and how close his own body it goes.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Bedard just 4goals last 22 GP and a -17...I do not care who he is...any NHL player in a top six role doing that does nit deserve to be ina top six forwards roke..ifvhecwere not a first overall pick he woukd be benched for poir pkay...
The poor puck cobtrol on entries...leading to turnovers or takeaway depending on how you define the opps stopping human his "hero" junio moves..I watch other NHL players enter and the pkay continues as they take pucks past the d-checkers or they dish to linemates with goodvpases before the opps checkers stop thevpkay..leading either to rush goals or at least chances on net or to to longer possessions in thevo-zobe..but Brdard trying to solo get through checking defense ...attack too often gets stopped quickly on entry and puck goes the other way and Bedard often caught watching the transition attack from behind..therevis just skbethibg "not there" with him ...he has been objectively stats wise and eye test Terrible tgese last 22 games(1 game before the4Natiobs break thru last night)...to top off this horror show,his blatant body hug grapple hold on Leonard led to Ovechkin"s record tyong goal(#894) whike Bedard watched from the p-box...that penalty was unnecessary.. you do not bear hig a guy in the middle of the ice ona check..I get it in board battles. But it Never should happen so blatantly in the middle of the ice with a bear hug that tgevojayer knows he will get called for ..it was stupid and unecessay ..itis not lije Leonard was goibgbin on a break-away ...notbonlyvdod Brdard not execute a check properly ..but his action he must know woukd cause the refs to put him inthe p-box..if Leonard had got past hom there were other Hawks in position to close on Leonard..not a sure thing Leonard coukd then take the puck alone to the net without sone other Hawksvpkayer impeding his path ..Leonard I fact had stopped and swiveled...hecwoukd have had to then start from a standing still position to continue the pjay which should have given other Hawks time to close off his path..Simply Bedard made a fundamental mistake on checking execution..even a half-check without the bear hug should have been enough to stop a cobtinuation Leonard attack if Bedard faiked to conpletelystop him..instead we get the bear hug and obvious for refs to p-box him..

Bedardvis frustrating me and should be fristrating Hawks fans with attention to details deficits,poor executions..lack ofvoroducyion,unable to drive his kibe..too long hemned in d-zobe /unable to get to loose pucks and unable to thus start transitions,poir decision-making...trying to solo hero it /junior level stuff,poor use of linemates = dysfunctional connectiveness = not helping a line gel together..Whyvtgehelk is THIS version of Bedard still in thebtop six..
We saw Nazar and Moore...yeseven Moore play "normal" nhl level ..saw givecanf go..where did you ever see Bedard with a give and go?

Yes both are great skaters. BEdard us Not ..always loksxaxsteo slow..hascto make-up for that woth smarter goid detaiksvpkay but is Not doing that. HAt 5x5vhecrealkyvhas not "connected" with any linemates ..
Ifvhe made up for this with higher Po goal contribution you might overlook the rest of his game ..but he is Not goal scoring much on the PP...
It is hard to figure out what he actualky is contributing...especialky these lsst 22 games including the game just beforectgec4vMations break.

I do not know why or how he has gone off the ranks to such ineffectiveness to such poor play.but he HAS...

If hevus "not resady" to brca pro and pjay upto a mich netter standard,send hom to Rockford till he is Ready

.Itbis clear he had regressed to the point if this had happened early or mid sesson,maybe they would have sent him down for such miserable play ..but now only 6 games remaining ..so thatvis not happening.. but if hevljays so I effectively and so negatively again from start thru mid-season nectcsrsdon,then they shoukd send hims big message and send him down to Rockford for "development".

I see no development witb him at all...all I see is regression to a very bad 5x5 player and a meh/average threat on the PP...not playing g good hockey.
Now IF hevid pjaying injured I will of course excuse this poor play..butvotherwise ..it is inexcusable and I do not want to hear "only 29" unless you put the "not ready to be an NHL pro" after the "only 20" excuse.

Of course young players should get better by age 23 on if they have not already "proved thremselves" in mainstay roles as NzhL calibre players before then..But progression not regression has got to be shown..Ee have only seen regressive pmay from Bedard and especially in tgse last 22 games where his pjay is unjustifiable to keep hom inactop six role.He has more rope that most kids due to his draft position...but that rooe gets shorter if this poor level ofvpkay continues long next season.

We have got to see some progress into a better level of hockey from him..if hevpkatesusxat thid poir level he coukd becone a Geberational Bust ..
Joining the immortal Alexandre Daigle who also doninated in juniors but joined the 1stboveralm Hall of Geberational Shame.
Maybe Bedard never becomes a super star...but stay I our top six let alone top line he must pkayat some at least acceptable level...

What we have see over the last 22GP is Not Acceptable ..period..no excuse.(unless playing injured which has not been revealed if that is the case)..if injury is nit the cause,then Bedard must Cressey this su...find his mojo again and one back ready to PROOVE he deserves to hold down a top line or eve 2nd line position without negatively impacting the team ...cetainlycwe do not want to see plateau at this bad level or worse further regression which as bad has he has been seems impossible..but if he is -64 instead of -39 or worse (lije hevis heading this srsson with 6 goes remaining) then that would be further regression.

There isxa level of 5x5 play you must show before you lose your job.. at sone ponit he WIKL lose his job if this level or worse persists.

Upto him to play nerve.. mich better..or ELSE.

As it is I give hom a bridge contract not an 8 year huge increase...at least they should not extend hom till he shows better progress next season.. If he still is at this plateau of 20 goals or a bit more and 60+ points and near -40 again then that contract extention should be a middling $6 to 7million max on a 3 year bridge deal to prove himself yet.. ...not make bet he explodes over 8 more seasons to top 'star" 90+pomts/ 30+ goals level and sonevmor acceptable ×/- closecto at leat Even..Give him a leash of 3 more years on a bridge deal...do Not bet $11 miilion+ he will exode over the next 8 years..If he explodes next season to real star effectivess then sure go wholevhog and kick him up cheap at $14milion for 8 more seasons ..but if he plays at this level again with more bad defensive play ,be cautious bridge him at $6-7 mil per ONYL on a 3 yr deal . Tell him to show he is worth more by better play or he may find himself gone after this second set of 3 more less than expected seasons characterized by underwhelming to terrible levels of play.

Jesus the translator may break down with this novel of a post

 

[Kevin Musto]

Davidson isn't even on a lukewarm seat, let alone a hot seat where he has to "save his job". He's like 2 years into a rebuild, that by all accounts, is going pretty well, and might even be ahead of schedule. I don't think he's at risk at all.

you could argue the Hawks have gotten over the hardest part, which is the blueline.

it looks like they've got a set core for the future.

 

[SimpleJack]

you could argue the Hawks have gotten over the hardest part, which is the blueline.

it looks like they've got a set core for the future.

And i would say our blueline is looking so incredibly stacked rn that, even if Korchinski doesn't pan out, we still have a fully set future top 4 in some combo of Vlasic/Kaiser-Lev/Rinzel + 3 other promising options that could at very least by bottom pairing guys in EDM, Crevier, and Allan.

Now just imagine if Korchinski DOES pan out. Then things REALLY start looking scary.

 

[Kevin Musto]

And i would say our blueline is looking so incredibly stacked rn that, even if Korchinski doesn't pan out, we still have a fully set future top 4 in some combo of Vlasic/Kaiser-Lev/Rinzel + 3 other promising options that could at very least by bottom pairing guys in EDM, Crevier, and Allan.

Now just imagine if Korchinski DOES pan out. Then things REALLY start looking scary.

I think Korch pans out. There isn't anything wrong with his development so far.

But if we're looking to upgrade the forward group, he's the obvious expendable asset.

Hawks probably have the best upcoming D group in the league.

 

[Darkstar]

Jesus the translator may break down with this novel of a post

The Viking saga of Connor the Goaless, as narrated by Alexander Skarsgard, coming soon to wherever you get your audio books.

 

[Malaka]

Bedard is in his own head.

Look at the tape of last years preseason compared to his last 10 games and tell me he’s the same player. He’s not.

The zone entries were a thing of art. He’s adapting negatively, that’s due to the environment he’s in. I don’t think more young guns or a power forward like Martone on his line even if he could skate is going to fix his development path, I think it’s better coaching from someone like belfry to ground him away from this mess.

 

[HawksDub89]

Bedard will be fine. The organization needs to do whatever possible to make sure he understands how massive of a priority his skating needs to be this summer.

Kinda hope he abandons the roller blade stuff this summer and spends a ton of time in the gym and doing skating work.

Connor knows his weaknesses, so I’m sure none of that needs to be communicated.

This kid is going to be a 100+ point winger for many years. I’m still very excited.

Last thought, watching the college kids come up is very eye opening. You can tell how much more polished they are. I think there are times where Connor tries something that worked in JR that simply won’t work in the NHL. Wish the kid would just rip the puck sometimes instead of over passing.

 

[Deputy McRizzy]

Connor knows his weaknesses, so I’m sure none of that needs to be communicated.

Are we sure of this? Because we're at the end of year 2 and he still tries the same boneheaded junior plays that never work.

I'd love when the season is wrapped up for someone to ask what he intends to focus on over the off season and to hear his answer.

 

[HawksDub89]

Are we sure of this? Because we're at the end of year 2 and he still tries the same boneheaded junior plays that never work.

I'd love when the season is wrapped up for someone to ask what he intends to focus on over the off season and to hear his answer.

I’m talking physical stuff. (Skating)

And like I said, I’m sure the organization will have a plan for him.

 

[SimpleJack]

Bedard is in his own head.

Look at the tape of last years preseason compared to his last 10 games and tell me he’s the same player. He’s not.

The zone entries were a thing of art. He’s adapting negatively, that’s due to the environment he’s in. I don’t think more young guns or a power forward like Martone on his line even if he could skate is going to fix his development path, I think it’s better coaching from someone like belfry to ground him away from this mess.

I will definitely agree that it’s largely a mental issue, and yes for the most part he’s seemingly gotten gradually worse and worse as time has passed. After his first 20 games as a pro I thought he was gonna be every bit as good as the hype. Unfortunately it’s obviously gonna be a bumpier road than that, though I do still expect him to eventually get things right.

 

[Deputy McRizzy]

I’m talking physical stuff. (Skating)

And like I said, I’m sure the organization will have a plan for him.

You are more confident than I in the organization. We are on our 4th straight Mickey Mouse coach from JC > King > LR > Sorensen.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Bedard is in his own head.

Look at the tape of last years preseason compared to his last 10 games and tell me he’s the same player. He’s not.

The zone entries were a thing of art. He’s adapting negatively, that’s due to the environment he’s in. I don’t think more young guns or a power forward like Martone on his line even if he could skate is going to fix his development path, I think it’s better coaching from someone like belfry to ground him away from this mess.

he looks like a different player relative to some of the clips from last year, certainly tracks out with what you said...also it never looks like the kid is enjoying himself out there either, scores a goal or the team scores, its just dead serious all the time, idk how you don't burn out being that way

 

[Chelios]

You are more confident than I in the organization. We are on our 4th straight Mickey Mouse coach from JC > King > LR > Sorensen.

Only one of those coaches were a non-interim hire by the current regime. This coaching hire is huge, but LR has been the only real coaching hire for this regime so far. I am perfectly fine with them putting an interim in and doing a thorough search rather than hiring a mediocre coach right away.

 

[Game suspension]

he looks like a different player relative to some of the clips from last year, certainly tracks out with what you said...also it never looks like the kid is enjoying himself out there either, scores a goal or the team scores, its just dead serious all the time, idk how you don't burn out being that way

The kid has the personality of a brick. The opposite of OV.

 

[MarotteMarauder]

His shot is special, how fast it goes and how close his own body it goes.

Shooting % does not support that conclusion

 

[Chelios]

This is where I am on Bedard.

I don’t think anyone can honestly say that this season has been anything but a disappointment overall. I think we all hoped and expected he would take a significant step forward, production-wise, from last season and it just hasn’t happened. Where I get frustrated is people who are just constantly complaining and worrying about him without any kind of appreciation of how lucky we are to have a guy who is almost certain to be an All Star player for a long time on this team. I get that with the hype pre-draft that his current level may be underwhelming, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have an awesome young player who has stepped into the league and produced at a rate that only few have.

Now there are many reasons for his underwhelming production. Some of them on him, some of them situational. He needs to get stronger and improve his skating/endurance. He needs to trust his teammates more and not try to do as much himself. He needs to diversify his zone entries. He needs to harness his emotion and the pressure better to perform at the highest level when it is most important. The caveat with all those things is that he is not yet 20 years old. There are very very few players that have walked into this league and handled all those things well.

Situationally, obviously he is on a bad team. He spends many shifts hemmed in his zone, he rarely has anyone else make plays to get him good chances, he rarely has time and space, and it seems like the entire team just doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to penalties and generating power plays. Now, before I hear about how Donato or TT are producing, it’s simply not comparable. The level of attention that Bedard receives and the way opposing teams game plan around him is on a completely different level. If anything, they have benefitted significantly from that, Donato many times as a linemate and TT on the power play where he has so much more time because opponents flood Bedard’s side.

While we can all agree that his production has not taken a step, I do think people are overlooking the small steps he has made in other parts of his game. In-zone on the PP he has gotten even better. He is already among the best players in the league on the PP. The fact that the Hawks have been top 10 on the PP ,despite the personnel, is a testament to that fact. Defensively, while he still has a ways to go, he has made some subtle strides. His positioning is much better, and is no longer flying the zone nearly the way he was last season (I actually think this is one of the reasons his production is down). His faceoffs have also improved significantly as the season has gone on.

 

[BHawks77]

Just watched the Caps game. Bedard gets almost zero help on his line. Donato and Mik arent known for their skill and hockey IQ, so many bad passes no creativity so its not hard to see why its not working. Bedard is always the one to carry puck up the ice (opponents know this too) cause Donato and Mik cant do and in rare case they do, once in o-zone they dont know what to do with it or make bad pass.

Dont know why they havent tried Teuvo again on Bedards wing after few games in start of the season. They have cycled wingers nonstop so no wonder there is no chemistry. You can see how much Teuvo helps Nazar and its good for Nazars development. Bedard could use some of that too.

Its so easy for opponent to zero in on Bedard. You can see his confidence has taken hit and most of the time Bedard makes a play he never gets it back, its like throwing the puck in ocean as Selänne used to say about his rotating collection of not that skilled centers in Anaheim. Luckily Selänne had Kariya when healthy.

Of course Bedard needs more strength and explosiveness. Also it would be better if he had shorter shifts. He doesnt have the stamina yet to play 23 min a game in NHL. I think the long season is starting to wear on him. Also he tries to do too much, but some of that is also because he hasnt got much help. Better linemates would help in that a lot.

 

[BHawks77]

This is where I am on Bedard.

I don’t think anyone can honestly say that this season has been anything but a disappointment overall. I think we all hoped and expected he would take a significant step forward, production-wise, from last season and it just hasn’t happened. Where I get frustrated is people who are just constantly complaining and worrying about him without any kind of appreciation of how lucky we are to have a guy who is almost certain to be an All Star player for a long time on this team. I get that with the hype pre-draft that his current level may be underwhelming, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have an awesome young player who has stepped into the league and produced at a rate that only few have.

Now there are many reasons for his underwhelming production. Some of them on him, some of them situational. He needs to get stronger and improve his skating/endurance. He needs to trust his teammates more and not try to do as much himself. He needs to diversify his zone entries. He needs to harness his emotion and the pressure better to perform at the highest level when it is most important. The caveat with all those things is that he is not yet 20 years old. There are very very few players that have walked into this league and handled all those things well.

Situationally, obviously he is on a bad team. He spends many shifts hemmed in his zone, he rarely has anyone else make plays to get him good chances, he rarely has time and space, and it seems like the entire team just doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to penalties and generating power plays. Now, before I hear about how Donato or TT are producing, it’s simply not comparable. The level of attention that Bedard receives and the way opposing teams game plan around him is on a completely different level. If anything, they have benefitted significantly from that, Donato many times as a linemate and TT on the power play where he has so much more time because opponents flood Bedard’s side.

While we can all agree that his production has not taken a step, I do think people are overlooking the small steps he has made in other parts of his game. In-zone on the PP he has gotten even better. He is already among the best players in the league on the PP. The fact that the Hawks have been top 10 on the PP ,despite the personnel, is a testament to that fact. Defensively, while he still has a ways to go, he has made some subtle strides. His positioning is much better, and is no longer flying the zone nearly the way he was last season (I actually think this is one of the reasons his production is down). His faceoffs have also improved significantly as the season has gone on.

We had pretty much same thoughts I just took forever to type on phone!!

Well done Sir!

 

[bwanajamba]

This is where I am on Bedard.

I don’t think anyone can honestly say that this season has been anything but a disappointment overall. I think we all hoped and expected he would take a significant step forward, production-wise, from last season and it just hasn’t happened. Where I get frustrated is people who are just constantly complaining and worrying about him without any kind of appreciation of how lucky we are to have a guy who is almost certain to be an All Star player for a long time on this team. I get that with the hype pre-draft that his current level may be underwhelming, but that doesn’t change the fact that we have an awesome young player who has stepped into the league and produced at a rate that only few have.

Now there are many reasons for his underwhelming production. Some of them on him, some of them situational. He needs to get stronger and improve his skating/endurance. He needs to trust his teammates more and not try to do as much himself. He needs to diversify his zone entries. He needs to harness his emotion and the pressure better to perform at the highest level when it is most important. The caveat with all those things is that he is not yet 20 years old. There are very very few players that have walked into this league and handled all those things well.

Situationally, obviously he is on a bad team. He spends many shifts hemmed in his zone, he rarely has anyone else make plays to get him good chances, he rarely has time and space, and it seems like the entire team just doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to penalties and generating power plays. Now, before I hear about how Donato or TT are producing, it’s simply not comparable. The level of attention that Bedard receives and the way opposing teams game plan around him is on a completely different level. If anything, they have benefitted significantly from that, Donato many times as a linemate and TT on the power play where he has so much more time because opponents flood Bedard’s side.

While we can all agree that his production has not taken a step, I do think people are overlooking the small steps he has made in other parts of his game. In-zone on the PP he has gotten even better. He is already among the best players in the league on the PP. The fact that the Hawks have been top 10 on the PP ,despite the personnel, is a testament to that fact. Defensively, while he still has a ways to go, he has made some subtle strides. His positioning is much better, and is no longer flying the zone nearly the way he was last season (I actually think this is one of the reasons his production is down). His faceoffs have also improved significantly as the season has gone on.

He's been under a microscope as literally the only thing this team had going for it for most of two years. People don't appreciate just how hard the modern NHL is for teenagers. There really haven't been any smoother U20 transitions to the NHL than Bedard's since Matthews (who was 19 for the entirety of his first season and was obviously much bigger and stronger than Connor is). Celebrini is roughly keeping pace with what Bedard did last year and the narrative is all sunshine (and it should be, he is playing excellent for an 18 year old). Expectations really are everything