When will Connor Bedard become a top 5 player in the NHL?

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

I’m sorry you guys never won a draft lottery. Sucks to suck.

it's ok. the fact we have nearly twice as many stanley cups helps me sleep at night

 

[Crow]

time to sleep

 

[HockeyVirus]

Matthews' defensive game is absolutely overrated. He's slightly above average.

Heh.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I feel like it’s hard to even evaluate his rookie season given the quality of his line/teammates and that he was the focus of their offense

 

[Midnight Judges]

As a sophomore, Stamkos began a 4 1/2 season run where he was 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 in goals and 5, 5, 2, 2, 1 in points. He doesn’t fit with MacKinnon and Thornton’s trajectory and was a heck of a lot closer to the Big Three than we remember.

People regularly forget how great Stamkos was before the injury.

 

[HeadLiceHatty]

I think he will eventually become a top 3 offensive forward, but I don't know if he will ever be a top 5 overall player.

Agree with this, but I guess we'll have to see how much work he puts in, the guy busts his ass, but you never know where a guy's head is at. I'm really curious to see how he progresses.

 

[Chuck Testa]

As a diehard Hawks fan, I'm hoping that we see a jump from him this season, with some better teammates being picked up to surround him with.

As a realist, I can only hope that he becomes a top 5 player SOME day. I can't see it being any time in the near future because he's so young and the team is still pretty bad albeit (hopefully) improving.

I voted 3+ years because that's what I feel is most realistic IF he ever does become top 5. I would never say never because the kid seems like a real gamer with a great scoring touch but as an old saying goes (at least where I'm from) "It's hard to soar like an eagle if you're surrounded by turkeys".

 

[CallMeShaft]

it's ok. the fact we have nearly twice as many stanley cups helps me sleep at night

Detroit not having a 1C for the future is what helps me sleep.

 

[Nucks2001]

After 2 seasons. Yes, he plays on a bad team, but if it weren’t for a bad last stretch of the season and his injury, he likely would of hit 80+ points in his rookie season on a far worse team than what McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon or Kane inherited in their rookie seasons. The only other players who would have had better rookie seasons then Bedard in the salary cap era would have been Crosby and Ovi.

Again, I think there’s more people underrating Bedard now compared to the beginning of last season, where people were putting WAY TOO high of expectations on him. If you watch him play, you’ll know that the most dangerous thing about him and what differentiates him from snipers like Ovi and Matthews is his insane playmaking ability.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Hopefully he bulked up a bit and is starting to grow a tad. He looked like a kid among men and still produced. Id say he will wim a hart in his third season

 

[Voight]

loving how many chicago fans thinking they just drafted the next mcdavid, when in reality they probably drafted the next rnh

That's funny considering he scored 61 points this year and that's a mark RNH has hit only four times.

Other than RNH's extreme outlier season in 2023, his career high is 69 points and Bedard came within 8 points of that in his rookie season.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

That's funny considering he scored 61 points this year and that's a mark RNH has hit only four times.

Other than RNH's extreme outlier season in 2023, his career high is 69 points and Bedard came within 8 points of that in his rookie season.

To be fair to RNH, I think he had a better adjusted PPG as a rookie.

 

[wetcoast]

It has to be next year or hes a disapointment and wont ever live to his draft hype

He needs 110 pts next year with a evenish +/-

More offensive weapons in Bertuzzi + Teurvionen + Hall (if healthy) + other young hawks players and he will be a year older and strong so that should help him have a huge season as he'll be used to NHL pace and physicality along with knowing best ways to be effective and produce without needlessly burnign energy

I dont have him at that level of player anymore tbh

I do think he can a top 5 player by his 4th or 5th season but I dont think hes generational

Predicting a 90 pt season next year but hoping he proves me wrong and can get the hawks to low 80s in points next year while being top 5 or 6 in league scoring

This expectation seems a little bit unrealistic given his team mates but sure he has the ability to get 90 points pretty easily next season even with slightly better teammates and more strength.

Sure Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen are better than his line mates form last year but c'mon man give the guy some support.

As for the poll I think that he will be offensively explosive enough in the 25-26 season to be considered a top 5 forward in the league but not sure if he can do it in what would be most players final junior season in the CHL.

To be fair to RNH, I think he had a better adjusted PPG as a rookie.

If we are being fair here RNH also had much better linemates in his rookie season as well and then never really lived up to that production forecast again until the 22-23 season again.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

If we are being fair ehre RNH also had much better linemates in his rookie season as well and then never really lived up to that production forecast again until the 22-23 season again.

No doubt.

 

[Just Linda]

A top 5 player would be the McDavid, Drai, Kucherov, Hedman, Price, MacKinmon tier of player in their primes.

A lot of really dominant players never hit that elusive level in their careers. He could become a 100pt player and still not be as good as the Norris winner, the Vezina winner, a couple wingers, and the top 3 centres.

Do I think he has a strong chance of being in the group of players just below the top 5? Yeah, he should get there.

Do I think be moving the MacKinnon, Crosby, McDavid tier? No, I think he doesn't get that high.

 

[hamzarocks]

This expectation seems a little bit unrealistic given his team mates but sure he has the ability to get 90 points pretty easily next season even with slightly better teammates and more strength.

Sure Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen are better than his line mates form last year but c'mon man give the guy some support.

As for the poll I think that he will be offensively explosive enough in the 25-26 season to be considered a top 5 forward in the league but not sure if he can do it in what would be most players final junior season in the CHL.


If we are being fair here RNH also had much better linemates in his rookie season as well and then never really lived up to that production forecast again until the 22-23 season again.

Crosby was a top 5-7 player as a rookie and then 1st or 2nd best until 2018ish

Mcdavid was top 3-5 as a rookie and then 1st or 2nd until now (expected to continue for another 4-5 years)

Bedard wasnt top 30 as a rookie. He needs an insane jump this year to get to a similar level as those two

If you think he is a Mackinnon/Matthews/Draisaitl level palyer than he is on track no doubt

But the pre-draft and draft+summer after being draft hype had him being compared to 87 and 97 regularly. He needs to show his all world shot and talent and dominate the NHL.

If bedard is generational than we need to compare Bedard to 97, 87, and 8 (first 5 years where he was 1A player in the league) and so far he hasnt shown that

His 2025/2026 year being his last year of OHL eligibability isnt fair since he isnt a random player but widely considered the best prospect since 2015 and was supposed to be up there with 97, 87, and 8.

His rookie season can give a pass, but this year he needs to show hes a 100+ pt player who isnt terrible defensively and can get the Hawks to low 80s pt total if he is to be regarded at that level moving forward

 

[wetcoast]

Crosby was a top 5-7 player as a rookie and then 1st or 2nd best until 2018ish

Mcdavid was top 3-5 as a rookie and then 1st or 2nd until now (expected to continue for another 4-5 years)

Bedard wasnt top 30 as a rookie. He needs an insane jump this year to get to a similar level as those two

He had an awesome rookie season but he isn't as advanced physically as crosby/McDavid or even AM at the same age sure.

Also his linemates are simply horrible in comparison to what Crosby/McDavid had to work with in their first couple of years.

If you think he is a Mackinnon/Matthews/Draisaitl level palyer than he is on track no doubt

He is well on track to be that type of player IMO.

But the pre-draft and draft+summer after being draft hype had him being compared to 87 and 97 regularly. He needs to show his all world shot and talent and dominate the NHL.

If bedard is generational than we need to compare Bedard to 97, 87, and 8 (first 5 years where he was 1A player in the league) and so far he hasnt shown that

His 2025/2026 year being his last year of OHL eligibability isnt fair since he isnt a random player but widely considered the best prospect since 2015 and was supposed to be up there with 97, 87, and 8.

The 24-25 season would be his last (before being an OA) in the WHL and while he might not be a Crosby/McDavid level he is closer to them than being down closer to the other guys you mentioned at the same age.

His rookie season can give a pass, but this year he needs to show hes a 100+ pt player who isnt terrible defensively and can get the Hawks to low 80s pt total if he is to be regarded at that level moving forward

What's this terrible defensively BS, no one was expecting any defense form other generational player this early in their careers in the likes of Crosby/McDavid/ Mario. Gretzky heck anyone it was all about offense for these early young guys.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Not even a top 5 center on chicago tbh

 

[TheGuiminator]

I would be disappointed if it doesn’t happen by the end of this upcoming season.m

 

[Golden_Jet]

3+ to never, top 5 is hard.

 

[shakes the clown]

it's ok. the fact we have nearly twice as many stanley cups helps me sleep at night

Are you even old enough to remember any of them?

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

That's funny considering he scored 61 points this year and that's a mark RNH has hit only four times.

Other than RNH's extreme outlier season in 2023, his career high is 69 points and Bedard came within 8 points of that in his rookie season.

so you're saying that after watching him for only 3/4 of a season, you're confident enough to say that it is MORE LIKELY that bedard will end up a top 5 player of all time than a good but not spectacular top 6 center? really??

 

[MessierII]

I think he will surprise a lot of people now that he’s dipped his toe in the waters.

 

[Cats2TheCup]

All he has to do is outscore Matthews to get into the top 5 debate. He should be able to with the hype he got.

 

[CallMeShaft]

so you're saying that after watching him for only 3/4 of a season, you're confident enough to say that it is MORE LIKELY that bedard will end up a top 5 player of all time than a good but not spectacular top 6 center? really??

The people who have watched him for years aren't the ones comparing him to Ryan Nugent Hopkins....