Has Connor Bedard quietly became underrated ?

[Iwishihadaspacebar]

This season could be amazing for the Blackhawks. His performances last year showed he's the real deal among an atrocious team.

Have a dip season, sign him to $9m or below for 8 years ASAP and that'll be one of the best contracts in the NHL within 3 years.

 

[Alex K]

The Hawks are an abomination as well.
Ryan Donato is their best performing forward other than Bedard.

I thought Kyle Davidson surrounded Bedard with some vets. What happened to Hall, Teravainen and Bertuzzi?

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

I thought Kyle Davidson surrounded Bedard with some vets. What happened to Hall, Teravainen and Bertuzzi?

Agreed, they’re better than last year, those are cope posts. But I do think Bedard has more to give, 19 year olds in the best league in the world sometimes have tough patches. The generational tag has f***ed Bedard on this board, no one in that draft is generational, no one is or will be McDavid, who was the last guy like that.

 

[belfour30]

I thought Kyle Davidson surrounded Bedard with some vets. What happened to Hall, Teravainen and Bertuzzi?

Hall and Bertuzzi haven't played with Bedard all season 5v5 and Teravainen hasn't in about half the games.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Hall and Bertuzzi haven't played with Bedard all season 5v5 and Teravainen hasn't in about half the games.

But the truly generational guys make scrubs 50 point guys. It’s ok to not be generational.

 

[belfour30]

But the truly generational guys make scrubs 50 point guys. It’s ok to not be generational.

He did that last year with Kurashev, actually.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

He did that last year with Kurashev, actually.

You seriously think Bedard is generational? At this point? Kurashev has quite a bit of skill when defense isn’t required lol, man they were like -50 lol. What do you think Michkov would do with absolutely zero defense required and I don’t think he’s generational.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

It's a complete joke what Chicago has given Bedard as linemates. Kid has absolutely no help.

 

[Alex K]

Hall and Bertuzzi haven't played with Bedard all season 5v5 and Teravainen hasn't in about half the games.

That's strange, I thought they were brought in to play with Bedard. I'm not a coach and maybe I'm wrong, but I suggest that the burden of a team leader is hurting him a bit, it's too much to ask from a teenager. I saw some compare him to Jack Hughes, I think playing behind Hischier helped his development. Maybe Chicago should bring someone who would take some responsibilities off Bedard's shoulders.

 

[belfour30]

You seriously think Bedard is generational? At this point? Kurashev has quite a bit of skill when defense isn’t required lol, man they were like -50 lol. What do you think Michkov would do with absolutely zero defense required and I don’t think he’s generational.

No I don't and never did.
I was just pointing out that he made Kurashev a 50 pt player last year.

Kurashev's career high was 25 pts before last season.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

No I don't and never did.
I was just pointing out that he made Kurashev a 50 pt player last year.

Valid point, he’s going to be elite no matter what but it’s what you responded to what I said about generational talents. Here’s my question, do you think Michkov could make someone like Kurashev a 50 point player? This will give more clarity, I should have been more specific.

 

[belfour30]

Valid point, he’s going to be elite no matter what but it’s what you responded to what I said about generational talents. Here’s my question, do you think Michkov could make someone like Kurashev a 50 point player? This will give more clarity, I should have been more specific.

Idk. I don't watch enough Flyers.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Idk. I don't watch enough Flyers.

Fair, appreciate the honesty, my answer is idk too lol

 

[Fatass]

I thought Kyle Davidson surrounded Bedard with some vets. What happened to Hall, Teravainen and Bertuzzi?

Those guys are wingers. The mistake was forcing Bedard into the centre role. Hawks should have bright in an experienced top six centre and have Bedard play on that guy’s wing. Monahan for example. Forcing Bedard into the centre role is stifling his offence. Let him play wing and have more freedom offensively. Then transition him to centre over the next couple seasons. He’s in over his head right now.

 

[coooldude]

The two players are forever linked, if you can’t handle the heat, can just stay in your home teams board. There’s nothing malicious going on here.

The players are forever linked because they were both drafted in the same draft class, therefore the Russian mob follows Bedard, Smith, Fantilli, Carlsson in every thread, not to mention Demidov, Celebrini, and I'm sure even the 2025 class? And those of us who are annoyed "can't handle the heat"? lol.

It isn't interesting, smart, or "tough" to have a player leak all over every prospect thread from 2021-2025. But you do you.

 

[DitchMarner]

I watched the Canucks/Blackhawks game last night to see Bedard, and honestly, he was pretty invisible in that game. He whiffed on a dump-in near the end and VAN scored an empty netter.

He has talent and apparently he's a hard worker. He seems serious about being a hockey star. With more experience and some adaptations and physical maturing, he should become a really good player, but he's not on a generational trajectory.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Okay,, he's struggling right now (as is his crappy team), but a little perspective: He's 19, and after the worst stretch of his short career is still pacing for 59 points. Any 19-year-old getting 59 points is, like, quite good.

-- Draisaitl didn't score 59 points until his third season
-- Jack Hughes paced for 45 points at age 19
-- MacKinnon paced for 48 points at age 19

Let's wait until the kid starts shaving and can buy booze in Chicago before we write him off as some sort of a failure...

Scoring was down substantially compared to todays NHL when Mackinnon and Draisaitl were doing that. In that Mackinnon season Jamie Benn won the Art Ross with 87 points.

 

[Acallabeth]

He has talent and apparently he's a hard worker. He seems serious about being a hockey star.

I'm starting to think that Bedard is perhaps too serious about some things.

Before the NHL, he probably was the best player on winning teams his entire life. 'Eat clen, tren hard' has always worked for him, his career has looked like a straight ascending line, so he can simply lack the skills to handle the struggles on a pro team, when Connor has to play against better players every game.

The pressure of being a hyped 1st overall prospect doesn't help. I remember being bewildered about how nervous Bedard looked at the draft. I understand it's once in a lifetime event and he expected to go 1st overall, but it still says a lot about his attitude. Everybody and their mother says that Bedard is so young, maybe he should stop thinking that he must become a star, relax and just play some hockey. I've only watched a couple of his games this season, but I haven't seen the typical kid playfulness and creativity - only visible lack of confidence.

 

[Bombshell11]

Teams swarm Bedard when he has the puck. I'm not sure if they are scared he can do something special or they know he will cough it up when pressured. My guess : They initially swarmed him because of the former but were pleasantly surprised by the latter.

The kid needs a break. A BIG game with a bunch of points. If not that, a night or two watching from the press box might help. Having said that, who's on his flippin line? They aren't helping. Still, he was just AWFUL tonight.

Unlike you, I'm not worried about his ceiling. I just don't think he has NOT faced adversity in his career until now. And facing adversity for the first time while playing in the NHL is not optimal.


Good Lord.

You're trying to please the Bedard croud too much, you got bullied last year really hard for having a correct opinion about his potential, dont try to pamper to the negative people.

He was overhyped by the scouts and the NHL , they said hes going to be the next Gretzky.

Last year he had the label of a generational talent CHI gave him all the Ice time in the world, they thought he would develop that way. He did ok on the stats sheet but on the ice he was not up to par to the standards and expectations of NHL players in general.

This year, most people just view him as an elite prospect but in my opinion, i think injuries will take him out of the game and he's most likely going to be seen as just a top 6 forward.

I'm starting to think that Bedard is perhaps too serious about some things.

Before the NHL, he probably was the best player on winning teams his entire life. 'Eat clen, tren hard' has always worked for him, his career has looked like a straight ascending line, so he can simply lack the skills to handle the struggles on a pro team, when Connor has to play against better players every game.

The pressure of being a hyped 1st overall prospect doesn't help. I remember being bewildered about how nervous Bedard looked at the draft. I understand it's once in a lifetime event and he expected to go 1st overall, but it still says a lot about his attitude. Everybody and their mother says that Bedard is so young, maybe he should stop thinking that he must become a star, relax and just play some hockey. I've only watched a couple of his games this season, but I haven't seen the typical kid playfulness and creativity - only visible lack of confidence.

In the whl he dint play on a winning team and he was cheating alot to inflate his numbers. He dint play the game the right way that could translate in the nhl.

Benson on the other hand was on a winning team and played the game like a pro. He was in all the sauces, SH, PP, 5v5 etc and was getting points against any one and in all situations.

I dont know what happend to Benson this year but last year he showed that a good prospect is not just the one who focuses solely on excessive points build up in the juniors.

And yes the overhyping for sure dint do him any good. When you got refs during games telling him you will become a huge star blah blah..

 

[Darren McCord]

Okay,, he's struggling right now (as is his crappy team), but a little perspective: He's 19, and after the worst stretch of his short career is still pacing for 59 points. Any 19-year-old getting 59 points is, like, quite good.

-- Draisaitl didn't score 59 points until his third season
-- Jack Hughes paced for 45 points at age 19
-- MacKinnon paced for 48 points at age 19

Let's wait until the kid starts shaving and can buy booze in Chicago before we write him off as some sort of a failure...

And none of those guys are generational which is the point of this thread. People are arguing Bedard is. If he was he wouldn't be being compared to those players.

 

[Brookbank]

I watched the first 6 or 7 Hawks games this year. Bedard was getting shots and being a threat almost every shift.

But now he's really in a funk. His confidence is gone. The whole team is playing rather low event. The chemistry with Terivinen is gone.

It has shades of RNH when he was trying to carry the Oilers down the middle as a kid.

But this is just a bump in the road to what he will ultimately be. The best player in the league in the coming years.

And none of those guys are generational which is the point of this thread. People are arguing Bedard is. If he was he wouldn't be being compared to those players.

Those guys weren't generational because they never were in junior. What records did they break ?

 

[Darren McCord]

Those guys weren't generational because they never were in junior. What records did they break ?

What record did Bedard break? No being a jerk. I just don't actually know

 

[winnipegger]

Development isn't linear. Bedard is still a teenager.

 

[Brookbank]

What record did Bedard break? No being a jerk. I just don't actually know

 
Connor Bedard broke several records at the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship, including:

• Most career points: Bedard broke Eric Lindros' record of 31 points in 21 games with 36 points in 16 games.
  
  
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• Most career goals: Bedard broke Jordan Eberle's record of 14 goals with 17 goals.
  
  
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• Most points at a single tournament: Bedard broke Dale McCourt's and Brayden Schenn's record of 18 points with 23 points.
  
  
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• Most assists at a single tournament: Bedard had 14 assists at a single tournament.
  
  
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• Most points for a U18 player at a single tournament: Bedard broke Jaromir Jagr's record set in 1990.

Vancouver’s Connor Bedard breaks Gretzky/Lindros record at 2023 World Juniors

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I watched the first 6 or 7 Hawks games this year. Bedard was getting shots and being a threat almost every shift.

But now he's really in a funk. His confidence is gone. The whole team is playing rather low event. The chemistry with Terivinen is gone.

It has shades of RNH when he was trying to carry the Oilers down the middle as a kid.

But this is just a bump in the road to what he will ultimately be. The best player in the league in the coming years.


Those guys weren't generational because they never were in junior. What records did they break ?

What's going to change for Bedard to get him to those lofty heights? He's not going to get much bigger or faster.