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

[ponder]

Gretzky is 6 feet tall. Crosby is 5'10.5 and a piece of muscle. I'm about 5'11". I have stood next to Bedard (a couple of months ago). Bedard is four inches shorter than me and at BEST 160 lbs, no matter what they list him as. He is more in the Theoren Fleury range, not Crosby range, and has not grown this year.

LOL, you’re saying he’s 5’7” and 155-160 lbs? The combine is soon, you’re going to be proven dramatically wrong, assuming he gets measured. I’m guessing 5’9.5”-5’10”, 180-185 lbs.

FWIW, here he is ~3 months ago between 6’ Owen Beck and 5’7” Logan Stankoven, he looks right about halfway between them, maybe a touch closer to Beck (midpoint would be 5’9.5”, a touch over 5’10”):

Bump - 5’9.75” 185 lbs. Shocking that he’s not 5’7” 160 lbs!

 

[ViD]

Bump - 5’9.75” 185 lbs. Shocking that he’s not 5’7” 160 lbs!

Well, he might have been that 6 months ago

 

[Gold Standard]

Bump - 5’9.75” 185 lbs. Shocking that he’s not 5’7” 160 lbs!

Nice bump. So, basically he's grown 2.75" and put on 25 lbs of lean-mean hocking playing center muscle in half a year! Nice.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Lol this is the second time he's called Gretzky a very good player. Lmao

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

I grew 2 inches 23-25. Anything is possible

 

[57special]

He’ll most likely be 5’10” 205 when he’s 21 and entering his prime. Basically Crosby.

I think that weight would be a stretch. He's already quite thick... there gets a point where it gets in your way, and can stress your body, causing injury. Just physically maturing adds strength, even if you don't add lbs.

5'10", 190 is plenty, especially once he matures. A lot depends on intangibles, of course. Some players are just stronger on their skates than others, then you throw in the ability to see the ice and situations ahead of time and adjusting, common sense(some don't have it!), quickness, toughness.

It seems that Bedard would test very high on most of the intangibles, but let's face it, you're not drafting him to be your 3rd line grinding winger. He is most valuable as a scorer. You stick out a protector on the ice with him if need be.

I would think the only mild worry about Bedard is if he doesn't develop more quickness and speed, so he can skate away from checks, and into scoring positions. There is nothing worse than seeing your prized rookie get caught from behind on a breakaway by Ryan Suter or Marc Staal. We already know he doesn't have good size, so he'll need that speed, or at least, quick feet.

 

[Dominance]

I think that weight would be a stretch. He's already quite thick... there gets a point where it gets in your way, and can stress your body, causing injury. Just physically maturing adds strength, even if you don't add lbs.

5'10", 190 is plenty, especially once he matures. A lot depends on intangibles, of course. Some players are just stronger on their skates than others, then you throw in the ability to see the ice and situations ahead of time and adjusting, common sense(some don't have it!), quickness, toughness.

It seems that Bedard would test very high on most of the intangibles, but let's face it, you're not drafting him to be your 3rd line grinding winger. He is most valuable as a scorer. You stick out a protector on the ice with him if need be.

I would think the only mild worry about Bedard is if he doesn't develop more quickness and speed, so he can skate away from checks, and into scoring positions. There is nothing worse than seeing your prized rookie get caught from behind on a breakaway by Ryan Suter or Marc Staal. We already know he doesn't have good size, so he'll need that speed, or at least, quick feet.

Kid doesn’t even turn 18 for a while. He can still add a lot more than 5 pounds of muscle without sacrificing any athleticism.

And he’s already an elite skater.

 

[57special]

Kid doesn’t even turn 18 for a while. He can still add a lot more than 5 pounds of muscle without sacrificing any athleticism.

And he’s already an elite skater.

Agreed on the first point, not sure about the 2nd. Good skater, yeah, but he's no Mackinnon or Hughes.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Agreed on the first point, not sure about the 2nd. Good skater, yeah, but he's no Mackinnon or Hughes.

Agreed he's not MacKinnon or Hughes. There's speed and then there's quickness and then there's shiftiness.

Bedard has pretty good speed and quickness but neither is elite. Where I think he excels is shiftiness - his ability to control the puck and slither in and out of spaces. Patrick Kane didn't have elite speed or quickness either but he had that shiftiness to find space to make plays. I think Bedard has similar shiftiness with a quicker and more accurate shot than Kane.

 

[Panthaz89]

Comparing him to Laf and wright is funny.

It is pretty funny it's hard to pick either of them standing out in games just piling up a good amount of points while Bedard stands out like I giant disco ball making everything happen while piling up an absurd number of points and can do it all by himself when needed.

 

[TLEH]

It is pretty funny it's hard to pick either of them standing out in games just piling up a good amount of points while Bedard stands out like I giant disco ball making everything happen while piling up an absurd number of points and can do it all by himself when needed.

Its like comparing Applebees to Ruth's Chris. Yeah, they are both restaurants, comparison ends there.

 

[Alienblood]

Bump - 5’9.75” 185 lbs. Shocking that he’s not 5’7” 160 lbs!

Shortest # 1 pick ever .

If he goes #1

 

[Kurtosis]

Shortest # 1 pick ever .

If he goes #1

What do you mean if he goes 1?

 

[HeisenBaez]

Shortest # 1 pick ever .

When he goes #1

FIFY.

 

[prongertheman9]

Shortest # 1 pick ever .

If he goes #1

Patty Kane?

 

[ponder]

Shortest # 1 pick ever .

If he goes #1

Simply not true - most recent example I can remember was Patty Kane, who was 5’9” (and just 160 lbs) at the draft: https://www.nhl.com/flyers/news/2007-entry-draft-prospect-profile-patrick-kane/c-435785

 

[Castle8130]

Hawks drafting dwarf kings!

 

[teravaineSAROS]

Also, Hughes is taller what Bedard.

Hughes declined to get measured at the combine. When Luke Hughes got drafted Quinn said Jack is 5'9 at best.

 

[McFlash97]

Agreed on the first point, not sure about the 2nd. Good skater, yeah, but he's no Mackinnon or Hughes.

Not sure why people keep bringing in Jack Hughes. Bedard is a better skater than Hughes at the same age man.

120 point potential in his prime. Hits 85-90,in his rookie season.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Not sure why people keep bringing in Jack Hughes. Bedard is a better skater than Hughes at the same age man.

120 point potential in his prime. Hits 85-90,in his rookie season.

Bedard has never been and never will be as good a skater as well....any of the Hughes brothers.

 

[Chuck Testa]

Bedard has never been and never will be as good a skater as well....any of the Hughes brothers.

We shall see, won’t we?

 

[Sacha BOXviert]

Bedard nunca ha sido y nunca será tan buen patinador... ninguno de los hermanos Hugh

 

[Mathieukferland]

In English please

 

[WarriorofTime]

Bedard has never been and never will be as good a skater as well....any of the Hughes brothers.

Bedard Negging in full force. Looking forward to it for the next 11 years, lol

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Hughes declined to get measured at the combine. When Luke Hughes got drafted Quinn said Jack is 5'9 at best.

Yep - Bedard is ONLY 5-9.75 ... but he is 185 and jacked. Also, unlike Fantilli and Carlsson who decided to skip all the testing - Bedard relished the challenge. That tells you about him as a competitor.