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

[Big Bobby]

Ok, so this is the confirmed best prospect since Auston Matthews, right? Someone you tank for. Like bona fide elite, 40 goal scorer off the hop type. That's what I'm seeing. Man is that shot something. Good Vancouver kid too, probably why he comes off so likable in all of his post/pre-game media availabilities.

 

[Nico Hischier]

Boner for Bedard

Choke hard for Bedard

Boner hard for Bedard

 

[lomiller1]

D-1 performance
- Put up 116 points (55 goals, 61 assists) with the U18 USDP, setting the all time points and all time goals records (points record previously held by Patrick Kane, with 102 points)

This is primarily against USHL teams so the competition level isn't as high as the WHL where Bedard is playing.

Even though it was his D-1 year Bedard is almost a year younger than Matthews was at that time.

Another point of comparison is that Jack Hughes put up 112 points in only 50 U18 USDP games, it was his draft year but he was only 8 months older than Mathews in his D-1 year.

Overall Bedard is a level above where Matthews was in his D-1 year. McDavid's D-1 year is a much closer comparison. McDavid had a slightly higher points per game in a slightly tougher league but the gap between Bedard and anyone else on the Pats is much larger than McDavid and his team mates which suggests McDavid had a lot more help putting up those numbers. FWIW I still have McDavid a little ahead of Bedard in their respective D-1 seasons.

Who knows if Bedard will show as well next year and later on when he gets to the NHL but IMO his D-1 season was the best since McDavid and after that you need to go back to Crosby to find better.

 

[VictorLustig]

Probably the wrong time to say it but Matthews was clearly a better prospect imo. I would prefer Eichel too. Guess I’m not nearly as high on Bedard as some (most?) are here.

 

[Bubbles]

Who knows if Bedard will show as well next year and later on when he gets to the NHL but IMO his D-1 season was the best since McDavid and after that you need to go back to Crosby to find better.

I'd say John Tavares' D-1 season was better than McDavid's. Even Taylor's Hall D-1 season was comparable to McDavid's.

 

[oooooooooohCanada]

This is primarily against USHL teams so the competition level isn't as high as the WHL where Bedard is playing.

Matthews had 10 goals, 3 assists in 10 games vs NCAA teams in his final U18 team season.

Miami
Michigan
Providence
Boston U
Cornell
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Alabama Huntsville x2

 

[Mathieukferland]

Seeing as at least until 2026 there is no super prospect, he is probably the generational player after Crosby and McDavid

 

[Tutu to]

Probably the wrong time to say it but Matthews was clearly a better prospect imo. I would prefer Eichel too. Guess I’m not nearly as high on Bedard as some (most?) are here.

He’s better than Matthews was. Eichel is closer but I’d still go with Bedard.

 

[Paul4587]

Ok, so this is the confirmed best prospect since Auston Matthews, right? Someone you tank for. Like bona fide elite, 40 goal scorer off the hop type. That's what I'm seeing. Man is that shot something. Good Vancouver kid too, probably why he comes off so likable in all of his post/pre-game media availabilities.

Since McDavid.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

So he's up to 7g 12p in 6gp at his 16 year old WJC. That's insane. I know he's been given a bigger role than guys like McDavid and Crosby at the same age, but he's putting together arguably the best 16 year old performance since Gretzky.

 

[ijuka]

He’s better than Matthews was. Eichel is closer but I’d still go with Bedard.

If he had the size, but Bedard is 5'9"

 

[Tutu to]

If he had the size, but Bedard is 5'9"

Maybe but at 16 he’s better than McDavid was. Matthews is the most overrated player in the league. Dosent drive play the same way the other elite guys do. You can’t watch McDavid, mackinon or Kucherov over a 7 game series and not see what makes them special. Not the case for Matthews

 

[Leviathan899]

Probably the wrong time to say it but Matthews was clearly a better prospect imo. I would prefer Eichel too. Guess I’m not nearly as high on Bedard as some (most?) are here.

I think I’m with you on this, Bedard has an unreal shot and release, pretty damn crafty with the puck at times as well, but can you honestly say outside of his shot and goal scoring ability, is there another area of his game that is truly elite? Skating? No, playmaking? No, defensive play and off the puck play? Not bad, not amazing. I will say for a shorter player he does compete and play physical. He does remind me a lot of Debrincat

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Maybe but at 16 he’s better than McDavid was. Matthews is the most overrated player in the league. Dosent drive play the same way the other elite guys do. You can’t watch McDavid, mackinon or Kucherov over a 7 game series and not see what makes them special. Not the case for Matthews

Oh here we go out with the blazing hot takes to start the day off!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

If he had the size, but Bedard is 5'9"

That seems to a part of the equation that is being glossed over here. Matthews has all the tools and is much larger and stronger than Bedard. That will be a factor at the NHL level.

 

[Mrb1p]

It's interesting to go back a year and read posts about Wright. The big debate(s) back then were whether he belonged in the McDavid, Eichel, or Bergeron tier of player, and was a no brainer to be a #1 pick. His shot was considered to be elite.

In other words, at that time, Wright was considered to be what Bedard is now, except that Bedard's size is an issue. It will be interesting to see how he develops. People saying that he has a better shot than Mathews right now, are out of their minds, IMO.

Wright has an elite shot.

Bedard has a generational one. Very different. Nobody ever considered Wright as an equal to Bedard or any of the generational talents. Maybe when he was 14.

 

[wetcoast]

If he had the size, but Bedard is 5'9"

If you watch him play it doesn't matter much like watching Gretzky who looked scrawny on the ice as a prospect and just produced.

 

[Tutu to]

I think I’m with you on this, Bedard has an unreal shot and release, pretty damn crafty with the puck at times as well, but can you honestly say outside of his shot and goal scoring ability, is there another area of his game that is truly elite? Skating? No, playmaking? No, defensive play and off the puck play? Not bad, not amazing. I will say for a shorter player he does compete and play physical. He does remind me a lot of Debrincat

Skating is very good. Definitely better than Matthews imo. Bedard can beat guys 1vs1 ways Matthews can’t.

 

[HisNoodliness]

That seems to a part of the equation that is being glossed over here. Matthews has all the tools and is much larger and stronger than Bedard. That will be a factor at the NHL level.

I think it's a little unfair to compare Auston Matthews current NHL superstar and Bedard, the prospect. We know that Matthews figured out how to translate his skills to the NHL level and get even better than most people expected. I think that Bedard is a better prospect than Matthews was at this age. His shifty offensive game and absolutely elite shot are on another level.

Of course, he's not the biggest guy and has an entire season before he's even drafted. A lot of great prospects squander their potential. Bedard could fizzle and become a PP triggerman that gets pushed around too much to dominate 5v5. He could also grow a couple inches, add another gear to his skating and become arguably the best player in the world. Matthews is even better than my mean expectation of him. Bedard will also have to exceed my expectations to reach Matthews's level, but I think he's in a tier with McDavid and Crosby as a prospect.

 

[wetcoast]

I think I’m with you on this, Bedard has an unreal shot and release, pretty damn crafty with the puck at times as well, but can you honestly say outside of his shot and goal scoring ability, is there another area of his game that is truly elite? Skating? No, playmaking? No, defensive play and off the puck play? Not bad, not amazing. I will say for a shorter player he does compete and play physical. He does remind me a lot of Debrincat

Debrincat....seriously?
Not even close to the same body types.

 

[LTIR]

The kid seems generational talent.. should be a better goal scorer than McDavid and maybe even a better overall player.

 

[ijuka]

If you watch him play it doesn't matter much like watching Gretzky who looked scrawny on the ice as a prospect and just produced.

We won't know whether it will matter or not until he's in NHL. And Bedard is no Gretzky.

Maybe but at 16 he’s better than McDavid was. Matthews is the most overrated player in the league. Dosent drive play the same way the other elite guys do. You can’t watch McDavid, mackinon or Kucherov over a 7 game series and not see what makes them special. Not the case for Matthews

Tavares at 16 was also better than McDavid was.

 

[wetcoast]

We won't know whether it will matter or not until he's in NHL. And Bedard is no Gretzky.


Tavares at 16 was also better than McDavid was.

No you are right that Bedard is no Gretzky but the size thing isn't an issue with him either.

Also for Tavares being better than McDavid at 16 is kind of debatable, JT was a pure sniper and had skating concerns for being an elite prospect mush like Jason spezza.

 

[ijuka]

No you are right that Bedard is no Gretzky but the size thing isn't an issue with him either.

Also for Tavares being better than McDavid at 16 is kind of debatable, JT was a pure sniper and had skating concerns for being an elite prospect mush like Jason spezza.

Well Bedard has size concerns. We're comparing to Matthews. One big thing about Matthews is that in addition to the shot, he's really good at getting to the best scoring sectors, with his strength and size and ability to stickhandle in small spaces. So a shot-for-shot comparison isn't all there is to it.

I guess it technically is possible for Bedard to become a better goalscorer than Matthews but what would that require... Some pretty insane shot generation.

 

[wetcoast]

Well Bedard has size concerns. We're comparing to Matthews. One big thing about Matthews is that in addition to the shot, he's really good at getting to the best scoring sectors, with his strength and size and ability to stickhandle in small spaces. So a shot-for-shot comparison isn't all there is to it.

I guess it technically is possible for Bedard to become a better goalscorer than Matthews but what would that require... Some pretty insane shot generation.

I wouldn't be surprised if Bedard had as good a career as AM is going to have, the kid has "it".