Connor Bedard

[Giroux]

Just for fun

[LesExpos]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Just for fun

Thank you for posting this! So easy to forget how the world's best once struggled even worse than Bedard!

[TheVolta]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Just for fun

This was fun, thank you.
I definitely had forgotten how long it was before he became “elite”
I actually had to check hockey reference to make sure lol

[mwash1983]

John Taveras all day, his young guns should be 40 at most.

[Positively4thSt]

Not buying that Bedard is on a MacKinnon trajectory because he outscored him at age 19. Dylan Cozens outscored MacKinnon at age 21, is he also going to become MacKinnon?

[brettmik59]

Mackinnon is an elite skater. Bedard isn't. Not to mention the size advantage.

[dantheman514]

No offense to MacKinnon, who is a fantastic player, but Bedard wasn't projected or hyped to be MacKinnon. He was projected/hyped to be a generational talent along the lines of McDavid or Crosby.

[Giroux]

Originally Posted by Positively4thSt

Not buying that Bedard is on a MacKinnon trajectory because he outscored him at age 19. Dylan Cozens outscored MacKinnon at age 21, is he also going to become MacKinnon?

Not sure who said that!

[Giroux]

Originally Posted by dantheman514

No offense to MacKinnon, who is a fantastic player, but Bedard wasn't projected or hyped to be MacKinnon. He was projected/hyped to be a generational talent along the lines of McDavid or Crosby.

Dude he was absolutely not projected to be McDavid/Crosby

[MIRRABB]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Not sure who said that!

Everyone in the biggest and most respected Canadian hockey media.

[JohnnyAppleseed]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Dude he was absolutely not projected to be McDavid/Crosby

He was hyped exactly like those two. The draft lottery was given the same level of scrutiny. We're still way too early on if he can reach those levels but the kid had upper-echelon HOFer expectations since he was 16. He's been coached on dealing with the media since his early teenage years. The early returns have not been in line with the same level of player. Maybe it's the team around him holding him back, but one of his strongest skills (his shot) has not translated to the NHL level and it has hurt the perception of him.

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Dude he was absolutely not projected to be McDavid/Crosby

He absolutely was.

[Satan]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Dude he was absolutely not projected to be McDavid/Crosby

He was

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...draft-combine/

[ThatGuyPal]

I’m old enough to remember Lafrenière being poised as the next great. Gotta sell those flagship releases somehow. Next Michael Miss will be the “game changing, never seen a player like him” guy lol

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyPal

I’m old enough to remember Lafrenière being poised as the next great. Gotta sell those flagship releases somehow. Next Michael Miss will be the “game changing, never seen a player like him” guy lol

Tough getting old. The media doesn’t care about flagship releases.

[Giroux]

Originally Posted by Satan

He was



https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...draft-combine/

Fair enough but I think most serious prospect people had him in a tier below Sid/McDavid level

Personally I still believe in Bedard. Unfortunately his card prices are still absurd

[odjickfan]

I remember a summer in which MacKinnon YGs sold for 30Cad. People were losing hope in him. He is now turning into a Sakic/Yzerman type of player. Bedard still has time to progress.

[ThatGuyPal]

Originally Posted by carlo16

Tough getting old. The media doesn’t care about flagship releases.

Yeah the media cares about having something to talk about hence being media genius lol Cause there’s been so many years the media has said no one from a draft is gonna be “that guy” lol

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by ThatGuyPal

Yeah the media cares about having something to talk about hence being media genius lol Cause there’s been so many years the media has said no one from a draft is gonna be “that guy” lol

Last 40 years there’s maybe been 15 times the media has labeled someone “that guy”.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by Giroux

Personally I still believe in Bedard. Unfortunately his card prices are still absurd

That's been my gripe since day one, he'd need 50+ goal or 120+ point seasons moving forward to justify the pricing. The trope is tired about prospecting, but it almost always verifies.

My opinion after 2024-25 is that Bedard belongs in the NHL. That's it, he looks (very) good but not great. Anyone seeing anything more is doing so out of wishful thinking, probably while staring at the hole in their wallet from buying Bedard early. He looks like Zegras with a better shot.

[Ehawk89]

Celebrini is looking like more of a sure bet than Bedard right now. The Sharks having a better supporting cast with potential has alot to do with it. Bedard is just a first piece for the Blackhawks. Bedard needs Misa and/or McKenna, but that will probably move him to wing.

[stoopid]

Originally Posted by Ehawk89

Celebrini is looking like more of a sure bet than Bedard right now. The Sharks having a better supporting cast with potential has alot to do with it. Bedard is just a first piece for the Blackhawks.

100% agree that the Sharks are further along in their rebuild. Also agree that moving Bedard to wing would perhaps allow him to focus on the offensive aspects of his game a bit more. In the Hawks games I watched this year, it seemed like he just wasn't shooting enough for someone with such a gifted shot. There were also periods of time during those games I wouldn't even notice he was on the ice. Not a good sign for 'generational talent' that blends too well into the rest of the Hawks mediocrity.

[discostu]

As a Blackhawks fan, I'm not concerned about Bedard turning into MacKinnon, Matthews...or anyone "generational." Will he evolve into that? Not on my mind.

That said, I do really like is the young team that Davidson has put together through the last few drafts and the ability to continue through the next two drafts. Obviously we'll see in the coming years how well the "tank" worked through the prospect pipeline, but it currently looks like a perfectly executed tank job that could see major strides next season.

[FatButcher]

Watched a lot of the games and he looked much better very late in the season once more young talent was on board.

Nazar, Rinzel, Lev, Moore, etc. raised the basic speed and finishing the last month and Bedard looked much more dangerous, though he still needs to shoot the darn puck more.

[anusinha]

Sooo uhhh...... anyone know the print run on these bad boys?