C Connor Bedard (2023, 1st, CHI) Part 6

[Random Comment]

Commenting to get the 1,001st post in this historic thread.

He won’t be better than Mcdavid, just isn’t fast enough. He will be top 3-5 in league for a solid decade though. What a talent.

 

[Hawkster58]

Daigle was a real shame.

Funny thing was, he had so much talent that even after a two-season break he dropped 51 points. But it's never sustainable against hard-working NHLers since talent can only take you so far.

Bedard is a hard-working player that loves hockey, so I'm fairly confident he will reach his potential.

Daigle only had one move and that was to go outside, he was too scared to go inside and once teams figured that out he was done. Bedard is nothing like Daigle. He is constantly working on improving his game. Barring major injuries, he will be a star in the NHL.

 

[blundluntman]

Some of the people in this thread sound like real dickheads with the bust talk (no pun intended) now that chicago's won the lottery. He has exceptional skills that stand out right away (unlike Lafreniere), he has insane work ethic and drive (unlike Daigle) and has performed at a level unlike any other player since McDavid. He's the real deal, regardless of how salty you may be that he went to Chicago.

 

[Mathieukferland]

It's funny how Bedard's outlook is already changing for a lot of people once it became know that he's going to Chicago. You're slowly seeing more and more people rooting against him and theorizing that he'll be a disappointment.

Not so much rooting against him but I think it will be harder for him to produce in the first 2-3 years than if he was playing with Anaheim or Columbus who both have decent top line talent

 

[MichaelFarrell]

It's funny how Bedard's outlook is already changing for a lot of people once it became know that he's going to Chicago. You're slowly seeing more and more people rooting against him and theorizing that he'll be a disappointment.

That’s how it goes, man. I loved Bobby Brink. Then, he was drafted by the Flyers. Now, I hate Bobby Brink.

That’s why getting too excited about prospects can be tricky if you are a hardcore fan of a team. Ryan Leonard is my favorite player in the draft this year and I might cry whenever he gets drafted by Philly. If Bedard went to a divisional rival or a team I hated, then I’m not really rooting for him.

 

[ijuka]

Not so much rooting against him but I think it will be harder for him to produce in the first 2-3 years than if he was playing with Anaheim or Columbus who both have decent top line talent

You say that, yet both teams did just as poorly as Chicago did this season. Wouldn't it, then, be logical to assume that when Chicago does get some decent top level talent, they'll be able to get significantly more out of them than Anaheim or Columbus can? Hence, the prospects for future might be better, especially considering that Chicago metropolitan area is a ~10mil population market and the ownership will have all the incentive to build a strong contender around Bedard.

Sure, they have one of two contracts they might rather not have, such as Seth Jones, but overall Blackhawks have over 40 million of cap space and can do quite a bit to improve their team over the next few years. It's a much better position to be in than if they had been terrible while having next to no cap space and tons of players locked up long term.

Take Montreal Canadiens. They only have some 10mil of cap space next year, and several players locked up for an eternity. It's much more difficult to imagine how that team would improve than it is to imagine Chicago Blackhawks doing so.

 

[independent observer]

No one with Bedard level hype (McDavid, Crosby) has ever been a bust. It'd be a first.

Alexandre Daigle

 

[jj cale]

Daigle did not have the same through the roof hype guys like Crosby Bedard and Mcdavid had and even in his draft year there were questions abut his temperament/attitude. Maybe in Quebec he had as much hype but not in Canada as a whole and not in the hockey world.


Not a true comparable to use here.

 

[ijuka]

Why are we comparing Bedard to Daigle, anyway? Daigle had issues with his work ethic and attitude, whereas Bedard's work ethic and attitude are real standout qualities for him.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I think Bedard only wants to play in Vancouver. Kind of hope so as someone who dislikes the Canucks as it seems he has the heart of a Canuck.

 

[EdJovanovski]

I think Bedard only wants to play in Vancouver. Kind of hope so as someone who dislikes the Canucks as it seems he has the heart of a Canuck.

Why do you think that?

 

[Realgud]

Why do you think that?

He said his dream is to play on a line with Kravtsov

 

[Victorias]

Commenting to get the 1,001st post in this historic thread.

He won’t be better than Mcdavid, just isn’t fast enough. He will be top 3-5 in league for a solid decade though. What a talent.

He doesn’t have to be as fast because his shot is significantly better. That threat draws defenders to him and he is great at exploiting the open spaces.

I expect him to be the best player in the league within 5 years.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

He doesn’t have to be as fast because his shot is significantly better. That threat draws defenders to him and he is great at exploiting the open spaces.

I expect him to be the best player in the league within 5 years.

....here we go.

 

[AmericanDream]

....here we go.

Hey, this one I will agree with lol.

It's not like HF doesn't make horrible takes though like the epic Jack Hughes can't be a center in the NHL lol...

Bedard is a generational talent. I don't care if he is ever considered the best player in the league, McDavid can have that, just help bring the cup back to Chitown is all we care.

 

[Victorias]

It’s not really a hot take. Bedard is 8.5 years younger than McDavid. It would be kind of shocking if he didn’t become the best at some point.

 

[Video Nasty]

Man, what is with some talking about the hype and just listening to what other people are thinking about Bedard at this point? (How much of it is now exclusively based on the organization he’ll play for?)

Watch him play for yourself, trust your own analysis on his game, and have a firm personal opinion on how you think it will translate. We’re past the point of hype. Hype probably made you aware of him, but now you have to put in the rest of the work.

If you can’t see why it won’t take long for Bedard to be one of the absolute best in the league, fine. But at least come to that conclusion for yourself and not have it clouded by who he will play for or what others are saying.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Not so much rooting against him but I think it will be harder for him to produce in the first 2-3 years than if he was playing with Anaheim or Columbus who both have decent top line talent

Yep, I think that's fair. He can't be a one man show and succeed to the level he would with a supporting cast. There is much speculation on what the Hawks will do to provide him with line mates who are capable of playing well enough for him to thrive. Kyle Davidson, the Hawks' GM has stated the rebuild plan will stay the course so he will not accelerate the rebuild. Most likely he will sign one of two top-6 types like Domi and maybe Killorn - and Reichel started breaking out at the end of last season with 15 points in 23 games so maybe he plays with Bedard? In any case - he won't have as good an opportunity as he would have had with Anaheim (Zegras, McTavish, Terry) or Columbus (Gaudreau, Laine).

 

[Puckstopper]

He doesn’t have to be as fast because his shot is significantly better. That threat draws defenders to him and he is great at exploiting the open spaces.

I expect him to be the best player in the league within 5 years.

I like the boldness. Yes he can't skate like McDavid, or have the freakish strength of Sid. They don't have his shot either. I don't even necessarily agree with you that he'll be the best within 5 years, not going to predict that, but everyone has their own strengths that they exploit. People like Pronman downplaying him and saying he's a Matthew's level prospect is lame as hell. Let's call it for what it is, he's a tier above most prospects in the last decade.

 

[BardownMagic]

I like the boldness. Yes he can't skate like McDavid, or have the freakish strength of Sid. They don't have his shot either. I don't even necessarily agree with you that he'll be the best within 5 years, not going to predict that, but everyone has their own strengths that they exploit. People like Pronman downplaying him and saying he's a Matthew's level prospect is lame as hell. Let's call it for what it is, he's a tier above most prospects in the last decade.

Matthews is the best comp right now, though.

 

[wetcoast]

You say that, yet both teams did just as poorly as Chicago did this season. Wouldn't it, then, be logical to assume that when Chicago does get some decent top level talent, they'll be able to get significantly more out of them than Anaheim or Columbus can? Hence, the prospects for future might be better, especially considering that Chicago metropolitan area is a ~10mil population market and the ownership will have all the incentive to build a strong contender around Bedard.

Sure, they have one of two contracts they might rather not have, such as Seth Jones, but overall Blackhawks have over 40 million of cap space and can do quite a bit to improve their team over the next few years. It's a much better position to be in than if they had been terrible while having next to no cap space and tons of players locked up long term.

Take Montreal Canadiens. They only have some 10mil of cap space next year, and several players locked up for an eternity. It's much more difficult to imagine how that team would improve than it is to imagine Chicago Blackhawks doing so.

The Black Hawks were dead last in goals for which is more important than the actual standings in this discussion with Kane for his 54 GP and simply are going to be the Regina Pats NHL version for Bedard next season.

They have cap space but can they sign decent enough players for Bedard to devlop to his potnetial Early on is a legit question.

 

[prongertheman9]

I like the boldness. Yes he can't skate like McDavid, or have the freakish strength of Sid. They don't have his shot either. I don't even necessarily agree with you that he'll be the best within 5 years, not going to predict that, but everyone has their own strengths that they exploit. People like Pronman downplaying him and saying he's a Matthew's level prospect is lame as hell. Let's call it for what it is, he's a tier above most prospects in the last decade.

It’s hilarious how wrong Pronman continues to be about Bedard but keeps doubling down.

 

[Bombshell11]

Some of the people in this thread sound like real dickheads with the bust talk (no pun intended) now that chicago's won the lottery. He has exceptional skills that stand out right away (unlike Lafreniere), he has insane work ethic and drive (unlike Daigle) and has performed at a level unlike any other player since McDavid. He's the real deal, regardless of how salty you may be that he went to Chicago.

There's the covid lockdowns.

We don't know the impact those things had to the player's development

Thats why i stand with what i have said in the past, Carlsson could end up being the true generational talent coming off this draft

 

[blundluntman]

There's the covid lockdowns.

We don't know the impact those things had to the player's development

Thats why i stand with what i have said in the past, Carlsson could end up being the true generational talent coming off this draft

I don't understand how you can use that logic to discredit Bedard while simultaneously propping up Carlsson, wouldnt that apply to him? We all saw what bedard did in the WJC. He's the real deal.

 

[dj Mahoney]

Matthews is the best comp right now, though.

Selfishness ,entitlement and disappearing in big games don't really seem to be in his forte at this point.