All aboard the hype prepare! Connor Bedard is nearing his NHL debut. He has been billed as the subsequent massive hockey celebrity since he was a younger teen, and his skilled profession is lastly about to start. Younger gamers who obtain this a lot media consideration are underneath a mountain of stress, however the nice ones at all times appear to ship.
Will Bedard dwell as much as expectations proper out of the gate? One of the best ways to foretell the longer term is to have a look at the previous. The final two gamers thought of generational skills are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. What does Bedard have in widespread with these two superstars? Will he observe of their footsteps with a unbelievable rookie season? I’ll try to reply these questions at present.
Junior Careers
| GP | Objectives | Assists | Factors | Plus/Minus | |
| Sidney Crosby | 62 | 66 | 102 | 168 | Plus-78 |
| Connor McDavid | 47 | 44 | 76 | 120 | Plus-60 |
| Connor Bedard | 57 | 71 | 72 | 143 | Plus-39 |
When Crosby accomplished his last season of junior hockey in 2004-05 with the Rimouski Oceanic, he had a mind-boggling 2.70 factors per recreation (P/G). It was the best Quebec Main Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) season for an under-18 prospect since 1983, cementing Crosby as one of the best prospect of his era. We wouldn’t see one other season prefer it in main junior till 2014-15 when McDavid reached 2.55 P/G with the Erie Otters. Bedard’s last season within the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Regina Pats resulted in a 2.50 P/G scoring price, almost matching McDavid’s totals.
The place Bedard shined was within the goal-scoring division. His 1.24 objectives per recreation is the best scoring price for a 17-year-old in WHL historical past. He additionally had a powerful World Junior Championship, producing 14 factors in seven video games. Bedard’s numbers in junior have been actually akin to Crosby and McDavid’s, however he’s extra of a pure goal-scorer than them.
Newest Information & Highlights
By way of crew success, Crosby’s Oceanic took the cake. They received the QMJHL Championship and got here only one win shy of a Memorial Cup, dropping to a stacked London Knights squad. Crosby led the match in scoring and had a standout efficiency towards the Ottawa 67’s, registering a hat trick.
In 2014-15, the Otters, led by McDavid, fell brief within the OHL Championship towards the Oshawa Generals. He led the playoffs in scoring by an enormous 18-point margin regardless of the loss. Bedard by no means got here near a championship, but it surely says extra concerning the crew constructed round him than something. He scored at a fair greater price than Crosby and McDavid did of their greatest Canadian Hockey League (CHL) playoff runs, with 20 factors in seven video games, however his Pats have been nonetheless bounced within the first spherical by a deeper Saskatoon Blades squad.
Bedard didn’t have the posh of an excellent crew round him, however he did have a powerful junior profession nonetheless. It’s secure to say he earned the correct to be essentially the most extremely anticipated prospect in almost a decade.
Playstyle
Crosby has Wayne Gretzky-esque hockey IQ and unbelievable imaginative and prescient. Mixed along with his slick passing and talent to place himself for open taking pictures alternatives, he’s a deadly offensive risk. He has used his edgework and power to grow to be probably the greatest gamers biking the puck within the offensive zone. Crosby turned recognized for his well-rounded recreation as his profession progressed, because of his dedication to enhancing at each ends of the ice.
McDavid shares an analogous playmaking means to Crosby. And whereas he wasn’t an elite shooter in junior, his pace and palms gave opposing groups nightmares. McDavid could be the quickest skater the NHL has ever seen, and his silky easy stick dealing with and agility make him almost unimaginable to cease when he winds up within the impartial zone. He additionally developed a sneaky good wrist shot as soon as he reached the NHL stage, including a brand new dimension to his recreation.
Bedard has a a lot totally different skillset than McDavid. He isn’t the quickest participant, however he has probably the most misleading wrist pictures I’ve ever seen. He curls the puck and modifications the angle simply earlier than he shoots, which may also help him thread the puck previous defenders and confuse the goaltenders. His blistering shot and elite puck expertise are the first methods he produces offense. A part of what has made Crosby and McDavid one of the best gamers of their era is their means to continuously evolve. Will probably be fascinating to see what Bedard can add to his toolkit as his profession progresses.
Rookie Seasons
In 2005-06, the NHL skilled an uptick in offense league-wide. Resulting from rule modifications following the NHL lockout, scoring elevated, and that was an enormous profit for a younger Crosby. He stormed out of the gate with 102 factors. He almost doubled his closest teammate in factors, Sergei Gonchar, who had 58.
Associated: Connor Bedard & the Historical past of 18-Yr-Previous NHL Rookies
McDavid had a easy transition to the NHL as properly. He scored at an 87-point tempo. Sadly, his season was lower brief by a clavicle harm, leading to a 48-point season in 45 video games. McDavid performed with gifted younger gamers like Taylor Corridor and Leon Draisaitl, however the 2015-16 Edmonton Oilers have been a a lot shallower lineup than Crosby’s Penguins.
Bedard will begin his rookie season with a Chicago Blackhawks crew that admittedly seems to be fairly tough on paper. They added Corridor within the offseason to provide him some assist offensively, however this group lacks protection, depth, and goaltending. Beginning with a nasty crew is par for the course on the subject of first-overall picks, although, so this shouldn’t be a serious concern.
What to Count on From Bedard
Generational skills virtually at all times begin their careers with a bang. Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Crosby, and McDavid instantly impacted the sport as quickly as they entered the NHL. Bedard is on that stage, and I count on him to provide at the least a degree per recreation in his rookie season, simply because the generational skills earlier than him did. His playstyle would possibly make him a greater objective scorer than McDavid and Crosby after they first entered the league, however his lack of offensive teammates will make issues tougher. There’s virtually zero likelihood that Bedard can lead this model of the Blackhawks to the playoffs instantly. Solely three of the final 18 first-overall picks made the playoffs of their first season. He’ll doubtless observe in Crosby and McDavid’s footsteps by lacking the postseason in 12 months one.
There’s, nonetheless, one factor he can accomplish that neither of them did: he can win the Calder Trophy. The ‘Rookie of the Yr’ title eluded McDavid resulting from accidents, and Alexander Ovechkin edged out Crosby in his rookie season. Based mostly on his type of play, Bedard jogs my memory of a smaller, extra gifted model of Auston Matthews. Given Matthews’ 40-goal rookie season that resulted in a Calder Trophy, Bedard needs to be a heavy favourite to win the award.
My official prediction for Bedard is that he’ll end within the 35-40 objective vary, with round 82 factors en path to a convincing Calder Trophy win. His goal-scoring prowess ought to place him greater than McDavid’s 29-goal tempo in his first NHL season. Assists might be powerful to come back by with the dearth of NHL-ready expertise in Chicago, however Bedard is artful sufficient to discover a approach to break the point-per-game plateau. He’s a severe game-breaker, and the followers in Chicago needs to be excited. He’s about to alter every thing for this group.
