C Connor Bedard - Regina Pats, WHL (2023 Draft) Part 3

[lafellaesobar]

He gonna be an islander

 

[prongertheman9]

I disagree. I don't see Bedard as McDavid tier. I've been here a long time too. But, Bedard will get the crazy Canada WJC hype and such. I also wouldn't put Tavares ahead of that group you are talking about. Even after his 72 goal 16-year old season, Bob polled scouts entering the 2008 draft year, who would you take Tavares or Stamkos, and Stamkos won by like a 7-3 margin. And, that is arguably when Tavares hype was at its highest. I also wouldn't go in such a convoluted way. I'd say there were basically 2 names at the top since 04/05 lockout and that is Sid, then a tier of like Matthews, Eichel, MacKinnon, Tavares, and Stamkos. There wasn't clear separation. I expect Bedard to land in the latter tier. His 16 year old season was pretty comparable to Stamkos, especially if you factor in historically OHL scoring has translated better to NHL production than the WHL's by a slight margin.

Bedard's 16 year old season is probably more comparable to Stamkos' draft year, when you factor in WJC and how little help Bedard had in Regina - which is insane if you are calling Stamkos' draft year season tier 2.

In terms of just hype the summer before the draft season - making the Team Canada as a 16 year old puts you so far ahead of the pack to the general public.
The hype rankings would be:
1. Crosby


2. Bedard/McDavid

 

[93LEAFS]

Bedard's 16 year old season is probably more comparable to Stamkos' draft year, when you factor in WJC and how little help Bedard had in Regina - which is insane if you are calling Stamkos' draft year season tier 2.

In terms of just hype the summer before the draft season - making the Team Canada as a 16 year old puts you so far ahead of the pack to the general public.
The hype rankings would be:
1. Crosby


2. Bedard/McDavid

Spezza and Bouwmeester also made it at 16, he'll Bouwmeester is the only one who made it as a late birthday. Stamkos also had like no help in Sarnia. And, I'm not gonna put too much weight on one game vs Austria. Congrats he made it. And, I'm not speaking on hype or whatever. I'm saying how I think he grades out. I know TSN will be going crazy over him all year.

 

[prongertheman9]

Spezza and Bouwmeester also made it at 16, he'll Bouwmeester is the only one who made it as a late birthday. Stamkos also had like no help in Sarnia. And, I'm not gonna put too much weight on one game vs Austria. Congrats he made it. And, I'm not speaking on hype or whatever. I'm saying how I think he grades out. I know TSN will be going crazy over him all year.

yes, I know other have made it when they were 16 - I'm talking about recent history. I'm not putting any stock into the game against Austria, I was merely stating that Bedard made the team at 16 and Stammer at 17 - another reason why those 2 seasons are more comparable. Stammer still had a considerably better supporting cast. And the guy you originally replied to was talking about hype/buzz it looked like but reading isn't for everyone.

 

[ps241]

I'm not sure he gets much taller. He seems to be of the small stocky build but will probably fill out more and who knows if whatever team he goes to inflates his height.

In a lot of cases if Bedard wasn't destroying the league to the extent he is (and Crosby was even a bigger version of this) scouts get scared on the growth potential of guys who are short but stocky at that age. It scared teams with Jake Wise, Adam Mascherin, and to a lesser extent Marco Rossi, compared to guys built like Marner, J. Hughes and Patrick Kane, who they feel will take bigger strides as they add muscle. This was a concern to an extent with Matt Savoie among scouts this year. But, if Bedard dominates to the level he's capable no one will care about it really, unless somehow Fantilli has a Hobey Baker level season which seems quite unlikely, and how teams will view Michkov is almost impossible to predict considering we have no idea what potential issues there are with Russian prospects now, let alone what the global political sphere is like in a year.

Both Bedard and Michkov who is also listed at about 5’8” and 160 (ish). Can’t remember the last time there were two more highly touted players in the same draft at 5’8”-5’9”. When I watched those guys last season they were both so electric.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He gonna be an islander

The way the lottery system works now I think Sorokin is too good to let that happen.

 

[SlafySZN]

Both Bedard and Michkov who is also listed at about 5’8” and 160 (ish). Can’t remember the last time there were two more highly touted players in the same draft at 5’8”-5’9”. When I watched those guys last season they were both so electric.

Michkov is now around 5’10 if i’m not mistaken

 

[Lavar Ball]

Happy 17th birthday, Connor Bedard

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Does anyone recall his short stint with HV71? How did it go?

I remember asking this a long time ago - but forgot the answer

 

[GermanSpitfire]

 

[Ippenator]

Does anyone recall his short stint with HV71? How did it go?

I remember asking this a long time ago - but forgot the answer

If I recall correctly, he played there only 4 or 5 U20 league games and was on a 1.0 PPG., which is very good for his age (he was only 15 then) already, but the sample size is still that small that I don’t think you can make too much of conclusions on the basis of that.

 

[Siludin]

Was looking at his U15 season (pre-juniors). He played for West Van Academy Prep (Canadian Sport School Hockey League U18 - high school age league).
Very few U15 players get to play a full season in this league.
Please be aware this league only goes back to 2009/2010 but it's interesting to see the other names in here.

Here are the top 20 U15 seasons in this league:

And here are the top U16 seasons
(Bedard's 14yo season remains the best season overall and in terms of ppg for >25gp)

Finally here are the best U17 seasons in this league, where 14 Bedard is finally dethroned by a 16yo
(don't worry he only fell to second place)

That's a standout performance by a 14yo



edit:
may as well show U18.
Connor Bedard had the third best season of all time in this league as a 14yo

 

[GermanSpitfire]

 

[Peasy]

Shoots it like Matthews

 

[Rengorlex]

Shoots it like Matthews

Better than Matthews.

 

[ijuka]

Shoots it like Matthews

Uh? The shooting technique's very different.

 

[Kennerback]

Uh? The shooting technique's very different.

He’s the inventor or the most famous user of a shooting technique. I’ve never seen anyone press downwards with that much force. He really slings the puck.

 

[Rengorlex]

This was a good article. Explains why Bedard is already a better shooter than Matthews, among other things.

Raising Connor Bedard: The 2023 NHL Draft's No. 1 pick is 'the real thing'

A potent mix of talent, work ethic and enduring family support has guided Canada's next hockey prodigy to the brink of superstardom.

theathletic.com

 

[ijuka]

This was a good article. Explains why Bedard is already a better shooter than Matthews

This, by the way, is not true.

 

[Tutu to]

This, by the way, is not true.

Not sure about shooting but I see him as more dynamic and a better prospect

 

[Peasy]

Better than Matthews.

You're cringe.

Edit: Oh you're an Oilers fan. That explains it.

Also did you even read that article you linked in here? The article and even bedard himself talks about forming how he shoots based off of Matthews.

Matthews’ drag shot is the NHL’s best weapon at the moment. Watching him play — and shoot — changed everything for Bedard.

“Even now, I’ll just search up videos on shooting, or just watch his goals,” Bedard says of Matthews. “I think I’ve seen all of his goals. It’s something I enjoy doing and I use it a lot. He obviously created it, and it’s become the shot I use the most.”

Uh? The shooting technique's very different.

Yeah, thats why Bedard himself even said he learned that shooting technique by watching Matthews...




Like watch both them shoot and tell me the technique is very different

 

[Ulysses31]

Frig if bedard is as good or better than matthews

 

[WeThreeKings]

Leafs fans can cry all they want but the truth is that Bedard is the best shooter we've seen at this age, period.

Matthews obviously developed a lot and continued to grow but there's no one in Matthews class who thought he'd ever score 60 and most conceded Laine would be the better goal scorer.

But Bedard can already shoot it and one can conceive that he'll continue to develop further.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Leafs fans can cry all they want but the truth is that Bedard is the best shooter we've seen at this age, period.

Matthews obviously developed a lot and continued to grow but there's no one in Matthews class who thought he'd ever score 60 and most conceded Laine would be the better goal scorer.

But Bedard can already shoot it and one can conceive that he'll continue to develop further.

I think most people just underrated Matthews as a prospect at the time. Combination of immediately following the hype of McDavid as a prospect and taking a non traditional path for a top prospect. If people really want to act like a Matthews comparison is some kind of slight on Bedard they need to reevaluate.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I think most people just underrated Matthews as a prospect at the time. Combination of immediately following the hype of McDavid as a prospect and taking a non traditional path for a top prospect. If people really want to act like a Matthews comparison is some kind of slight on Bedard they need to reevaluate.

Who has acted like the Matthews comparison is a slight? I am only remarking on Leafs fans trying to pretend like its a ridiculous notion that Bedard is a better shooter at the same age. He is. Bedard is the best shooter we've probably ever scouted at this age.

Nobody underrated Matthews as a prospect except Grant McCagg. We all knew he was a franchise player with exceptional physical skills and gifts, with a high end shot. But no one thought he was gonna score 60 because not many people do, for one, and he has evolved his shooting game while I think its fair to say he hasn't developed to the playmaking level expected in his draft year evaluation.

And please don't take that as a slight on his playmaking game, obviously when you're terrorizing goalies to the level he does, you're not gonna be a pass first guy. He's the best goal scoring center so far in history.