Has Connor Bedard quietly became underrated ?

[Jack Tripper]

I don't understand what's wrong about aiming to evolve into a Patrick Kane-type scoring winger. He clearly will never have the physical tools to be a Crosby/MacKinnon elite centre, but Kane has been one of the dominant players of his generation.

Only difference is Kane was added to a stacked Chicago team and won 3 Cups by the time he was 26 years old. Bedard is on a depleted Chicago team that has no immediate pathway to contention.

 

[BlueSeal]

I don't understand what's wrong about aiming to evolve into a Patrick Kane-type scoring winger. He clearly will never have the physical tools to be a Crosby/MacKinnon elite centre, but Kane has been one of the dominant players of his generation.

Only difference is Kane was added to a stacked Chicago team and won 3 Cups by the time he was 26 years old. Bedard is on a depleted Chicago team that has no immediate pathway to contention.

I feel this is ultimately Chicago's plan with Bedard; Tank as much as possible, grab high picks, build a solid team and go for it.

Too many people put far too much stock into comparing EVERYTHING and ANYTHING to McDavid/Crosby and sometimes Ovi or whoever else and if that player isn't greater than them at whatever age or time, then they ain't s#it. And that's a really sad way to view the world and hockey in general.

I don't care what your stats on paper say or what hardware you got in the case, what has that players efforts done to help your team go all the way. I'm big on story and that's what I want to hear. Folks snark at people like Patrick Maroon but his story is great and that's really what we watch hockey for, the ensemble cast 'story'.

Leave the numbers to the accountants.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

His coach is misusing him.
Last night and today Richardson admitted:
1. He wanted him to match up with Barkov
2. He's using Bedard's line as a shutdown line.

This is coaching malpractice.

Didn't they win the game?

 

[Dicky113]

There may be something to the nationalism aspect but bedards chl draft year stats were pretty generational

I agree but I think you can get away with being small in junior where it’s much harder to do in the nhl and still be dominant. He’s going to be a really good player but he’s missing 2 or 3 inches that will keep him from being generational at the nhl level

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He's been pretty terrible today. Lots of turnovers, and invisible more often than not. He looks like a kid who could use a bit of a reset.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

He's been pretty terrible today. Lots of turnovers, and invisible more often than not. He looks like a kid who could use a bit of a reset.

Are they still putting him at center? Feels like they could change that up.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Are they still putting him at center? Feels like they could change that up.

They moved him back to center, playing with Hall and TT

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

They moved him back to center, playing with Hall and TT

Ugh I don’t like Hall’s game at all, so that feels kinda Frankenstein-ed together to me. With his struggles at the dot I feel like he should get 5 games to just rip shots from the wing, but I ain’t no coach.

 

[BallardEra]

12 straight games without a goal is pretty insane for a guy with his talent.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

12 straight games without a goal is pretty insane for a guy with his talent.

Hard to score when you don't shoot the puck. 6 shots in his last 7 games.

 

[BallardEra]

Hard to score when you don't shoot the puck. 6 shots in his last 7 games.

Is he not getting to the shooting areas?

 

[Riggins]

I thought he'd come into the league and score 35 no problem. He's on pace for 12 goals in his second year. Yikes.

 

[SaSaShi]

Hard to score when you don't shoot the puck. 6 shots in his last 7 games.

he's trying to shoot...but too many from the perimeter so it's easily blocked deflected.

Yes tooo many turnovers , and didn't play in dirty areas at all today. It also seems he has no confidence in his linemates and doesn't go to the net when other players have the puck. Needs to be grittier.

Today was one of his worst games I watched from him, while the last two were much better.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Hit a post tonight, you can tell when he has space he’s special, but he has trouble creating it ( he’s 19 f***ing relax ). I think once he adjusts to being a winger he’ll be very successful, the generational shit needs to die and we need to evaluate the player as we see it. An ultra high skilled kid that is adjusting, with a world class shot.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

People clearly don't comprehend how abhorrent this Blackhawks team is. Expecting CB to meet this website's hype on this team in this situation would be akin to walking on water.

I don't understand what's wrong about aiming to evolve into a Patrick Kane-type scoring winger. He clearly will never have the physical tools to be a Crosby/MacKinnon elite centre, but Kane has been one of the dominant players of his generation.

Only difference is Kane was added to a stacked Chicago team and won 3 Cups by the time he was 26 years old. Bedard is on a depleted Chicago team that has no immediate pathway to contention.

Who's saying that's bad? It seems like the people making the Kane comparisons to begin with are the ones who think something is wrong.

 

[Kshahdoo]

he's trying to shoot...but too many from the perimeter so it's easily blocked deflected.

Yes tooo many turnovers , and didn't play in dirty areas at all today. It also seems he has no confidence in his linemates and doesn't go to the net when other players have the puck. Needs to be grittier.

Today was one of his worst games I watched from him, while the last two were much better.

Yeah, right now he's the opposite to Michkov who always goes for those dirty goals. People said it when both still were juniors, Bedard wass a perimeter shooter, and Michkov loved to play around the net. It looks like Michkov's hockey is more suitable for the NHL. On the other hand maybe it's just a sophomore slump for Bedard, he scored 61 points in 68 games last season after all so his hockey works too. He probably needs proper players around. Michkov doesn't score a lot of ES points as well, and on PP he plays with TK which helps.

 

[hamzarocks]

The 2023 draft class looks super overhyped from bedard down

This isnt a 2015 draft class it appears

 

[JackSlater]

I don't understand what's wrong about aiming to evolve into a Patrick Kane-type scoring winger. He clearly will never have the physical tools to be a Crosby/MacKinnon elite centre, but Kane has been one of the dominant players of his generation.

Only difference is Kane was added to a stacked Chicago team and won 3 Cups by the time he was 26 years old. Bedard is on a depleted Chicago team that has no immediate pathway to contention.

It seems obvious that Bedard should be a winger, everything about his game seems that way. Canada is fixated on elite forwards being centres though. You're right that there is nothing wrong with him being an elite scoring winger.

 

[Kshahdoo]

The 2023 draft class looks super overhyped from bedard down

This isnt a 2015 draft class it appears

There's no McDavid in the draft but overall kids look great. Carlsson/Fantilli can be as good as Eichel, Michkov looks better than Kaprizov at the same age, and Bedard will become a superstar one day, I have no doubts about this.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

Yeah, right now he's the opposite to Michkov who always goes for those dirty goals. People said it when both still were juniors, Bedard wass a perimeter shooter, and Michkov loved to play around the net. It looks like Michkov's hockey is more suitable for the NHL. On the other hand maybe it's just a sophomore slump for Bedard, he scored 61 points in 68 games last season after all so his hockey works too. He probably needs proper players around. Michkov doesn't score a lot of ES points as well, and on PP he plays with TK which helps.

Eh, I agree but, if you watched the full game today it’s actually crazy Michkov didn’t record a 5v5 point, the Flyers are putrid and people don’t finish his plays. I see absolutely zero red flags with Michkov, going forward 5v5 he will pile up points.

 

[ViD]

He's been pretty terrible today. Lots of turnovers, and invisible more often than not. He looks like a kid who could use a bit of a reset.

He literally looked like a 3rd rounder out there tonight

 

[Kshahdoo]

Eh, I agree but, if you watched the full game today it’s actually crazy Michkov didn’t record a 5v5 point, the Flyers are putrid and people don’t finish his plays. I see absolutely zero red flags with Michkov, going forward 5v5 he will pile up points.

That's exactly what I say, he doesn't have anybody around to help him with 5vs5 scoring because he plays with TK on PP only, and Konecny is the only player on the Flyers who thinks the game close to Michkov's level.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

That's exactly what I say, he doesn't have anybody around to help him with 5vs5 scoring because he plays with TK on PP only, and Konecny is the only player on the Flyers who thinks the game close to Michkov's level.

Whole heartedly agree. Don’t wanna hostage thread though. I seriously think Bedard will explode relatively soon once he adapts to wing. The Hawks are just as shit as the Flyers, right now, that was a dumpster fire of a game to watch

 

[Fantomas]

Quietly became invisible man

 

[ViD]

Quietly became invisible man

I think it must be a psychological moment for him, first time in his life he’s not dominating a competition he’s in