Prospect Info: Connor Bedard - 2023 1st - C, Regina

[Kevin Musto]

Don't mess with 98 oz

Generational chirp

 

[dj Mahoney]

Is center ice for the Blackhawks future all set with #1 BEDARD #2 NAZAR #3 SAFONOV #4 STJERNBORG ? Possibly factoring in REICHEL , GREENE , LUDWINSKI , THOMPSON , GUTTMAN .

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[Illinihockey]

Is center ice for the Blackhawks future all set with #1 BEDARD #2 NAZAR #3 SAFONOV #4 STJERNBORG ?

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No

 

[Dominance]

I agree. That's the more pressing issue going forward.

There are some good D in the system but I don't foresee any of them being that guy. I think we're still waiting to draft him.

Next year is remarkably defenseman-heavy, and will be when we get our guy. Someone like Dickinson or Jiricek with our own high first followed by Mews, Hutson, or Parekh in the mid-first to lock down half our top-4 for a decade+.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Nugent-Hopkins just put up a 100 point season, Bedard is going to cook with that shot in the NHL....and he's a gym rat so you know he's going to do everything he can to do whatever is necessary to be an elite player and win

 

[Pez68]

Nugent-Hopkins just put up a 100 point season, Bedard is going to cook with that shot in the NHL

With a good power play.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

With a good power play.

Gaudreau has historically been a ppg+ player, he's smaller, Bedard will figure out how to be a very good offensive player in the NHL. The goaltending situation in the league is worse than it was a decade ago as well, there just aren't many elite #1's around right now, might be why you guys taking big jumps that had not in prior years

 

[Chuck Testa]

With a good power play.

Their powerplay has to be one of if not the best operations of all time, no?

From what I've seen of CB98, that kid likes to shoot at will and pucks should be getting sent on net on a much more regular basis than in recent years on Blackhawks powerplays... where the team seemed to always try too hard to make a pretty play rather than score dirty goals.

When the Hawks roster had many weapons and was highly skilled they were able to score pretty goals but even after the bulk of that talent had gone elsewhere the team STILL tried to be pretty, imo.

 

[Pez68]

Their powerplay has to be one of if not the best operations of all time, no?

Edmonton? Yes. I was just saying, Hawks need a good power play next season.

 

[Chuck Testa]

Edmonton? Yes. I was just saying, Hawks need a good power play next season.

Yeah the power play definitely needs to be improved upon.

I feel like a systems change and having a gunslinger like Bedard should help the cause.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Bedard is going to put up 40 next season with that shot. It's unreal.

 

[scorehawks]

Bedard is going to put up 40 next season with that shot. It's unreal.

He could use a good set-up man. A Patrick Kane type guy.

 

[Chuck Testa]

He could use a good set-up man. A Patrick Kane type guy.

I can't see why Kane wouldn't entertain the idea of coming back to the Hawks if there's mutual interest.

Kane can chase the franchise scoring records and help a fellow #1 selection get acclimated to the league. It would be fun hockey to watch. Let him get his hip healed of course.

That being said I'm a die hard PK88 fan and it hurt seeing him in another sweater so I'm imagining this through rose colored glasses.

 

[OhCaptainMyCaptain]

I can't see why Kane wouldn't entertain the idea of coming back to the Hawks if there's mutual interest.

Kane can chase the franchise scoring records and help a fellow #1 selection get acclimated to the league. It would be fun hockey to watch. Let him get his hip healed of course.

That being said I'm a die hard PK88 fan and it hurt seeing him in another sweater so I'm imagining this through rose colored glasses.

I don't disagree, but it sounds like that's not the way KD wants it to go.

 

[Chuck Testa]

I don't disagree, but it sounds like that's not the way KD wants it to go.

I guess only time will tell.

 

[Putt Pirate]

I guess only time will tell.

KD has said on a few occasions, one right after the draft and this week for example, saying no on either coming back. So no use
wasting time on that.

 

[SweetHomeChicago]

2024 NHL Draft early look: Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman among ones to watch

The selection will feature a good mix of high-end forwards and mobile, puck-moving defensemen.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

This article says Dickinson is a can’t miss D prospect. They also talk highly of Mews. This would be for the 2024 draft class though.

 

[TheFridge]

You're acting like the scouts don't talk each other. The Blackhawks obviously hold meetings where everyone comes together and exchanges information and notes.

I'd also argue that a gem is a gem. If you trust your scouts and they know how to assess properly, and they believe someone is a gem, then that player is worth putting up on the board. The region doesn't really matter.

What happens when a great player goes cold for a month? Or a bad player goes on a heater?

Nick Lardis this year started rocketing up draft boards in the latter half of the year. What if your OHL guy only covered him before the Hamilton trade?

I don't care that the scouts talk to each other. I care that the scouts have the viewings to properly contextualize where the players they've seen over the course of the year stand.

A gem is a gem. Sure. The issue is, you can only draft so many kids. If you have 8 scouts with 8 different gems, how many can you draft? If you have multiple scouts who have all seen the same kids and there is consensus on certain players being gems, it makes your decision on who to draft easier.

Players getting hot and cold is just a part of it. I already mentioned in an earlier post that it would be a pitfall. But if four scouts have all seen Andrew Cristall play and only one of them says he didn't impress him much in his viewings, you're not going to take the word of the one scout over the three that said he was great/good/amazing.

There would be no "OHL guy", there would be multiple guys who would cover the OHL throughout the year.

 

[CanadianHawks]

Nugent-Hopkins just put up a 100 point season, Bedard is going to cook with that shot in the NHL....and he's a gym rat so you know he's going to do everything he can to do whatever is necessary to be an elite player and win

Nuge was also the biggest leech in recent NHL history

 

[Praetorian Caps]

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Just listened to Regina’s coach on the Laz and Powers pod. Seems like he thinks it’s crazy to put Bedard at center right now in the nhl against guys like McDavid.

Also said something along the lines of Bedard thinks he’ll be a center at the next level. Paddock didn’t seem convinced he’s a sure fire center.

Also mentioned guys like Barzal though.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Just listened to Regina’s coach on the Laz and Powers pod. Seems like he thinks it’s crazy to put Bedard at center right now in the nhl against guys like McDavid.

Also said something along the lines of Bedard thinks he’ll be a center at the next level. Paddock didn’t seem convinced he’s a sure fire center.

Also mentioned guys like Barzal though.

Doneghey said when they scout and interview players, they talk to everyone on the staff, team, families, etc., except the coach.

Now I know why.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Doneghey said when they scout and interview players, they talk to everyone on the staff, team, families, etc., except the coach.

Now I know why.

Ya, I too would rather know what position Bedard’s neighbor two doors down thinks he can play as opposed to his NHL-veteran coach.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Ya, I too would rather know what position Bedard’s neighbor two doors down thinks he can play as opposed to his NHL-veteran coach.

I've actually seen interviews with Bedard's neighbours. Very lovely and supportive people. The neighbourhood really rallies around him.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Doneghey said when they scout and interview players, they talk to everyone on the staff, team, families, etc., except the coach.

Now I know why.

Is this a real thing?