Bedard set for test with Blackhawks of facing Oilers' McDavid, 'best player in the world'

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard is a student of the game. The No. 1 pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft is always watching the elite players and trying to take a little something from their games and implement it into his own.

Same goes for Connor McDavid, right?

"I try to watch all the time. I wish I could implement; I don't think I can move that fast or anything, but he's the best player in the world and he's so fun to watch," Bedard said of McDavid, taken No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2015 NHL Draft and to whom Bedard has been compared as the next generational talent in the League.

"The stuff he does every shift, it's crazy. Someone I love to watch, love to watch those games. Him and Leon (Draisaitl, Oilers forward), they've got pretty good chemistry, too, so it's fun to watch."

Bedard's view of McDavid will get as close as it can when the Blackhawks play the Oilers for the first time this season at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, ESPN). The center leads Chicago and NHL rookies with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 27 games. McDavid leads Edmonton with 36 points (10 goals, 26 assists) in 23 games.

McDavid has been incredible in his nine NHL seasons. He's had at least 100 points in six of them, and he came close to hitting 100 in 2019-20, when he finished with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games before the season was paused due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. He's a five-time winner of the Art Ross Trophy given to the League's scoring leader at the end of the regular season. He's won the Hart Trophy, voted as most valuable player, three times.

Bedard has already played several No. 1 picks: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (2005) on Oct. 10, Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky (2022) on Oct. 14, Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews (2016) and John Tavares (2009, New York Islanders) on Oct. 16 and Nov. 24, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (2013) on Oct. 19, Buffalo Sabres defensemen Rasmus Dahlin (2018) and Owen Power (2021) on Nov. 19, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (2008) on Nov. 9 and 16 and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin on Sunday.

He got his first point, an assist, in his NHL debut against Crosby and the Penguins. He had an assist against the Canadiens. He had his first multipoint game (two goals, two assists) against the Lightning on Nov. 9. He had an assist and six shots on goal against the Maple Leafs on Nov. 24 and two assists against the Capitals.

One elite player against another brings a lot of interest, including from Bedard's teammates.

"I think it's awesome. I think it's what makes the game great," Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno said. "You have these players you're lucky enough to have, generational talents. We seem to have more and more coming up. It's fun to see how you match up against them, it's fun too, see what they do different, how they play, and what really makes them that elite. I appreciate it as a hockey fan.

"That's why I enjoy working with Connor. He is a generational talent and he's a guy that you can tell is going to be a great player for a lot of years if everything goes well. It's going to be really neat to see what his -- I don't even know if you can call it a ceiling, just where he can get to. I think having those other guys kind of pave the way will allow him to know where he's going to fit."

Asked if he's more excited to play against the League's elite, Bedard said, "Going into every game, you can pick a player or group of players you're excited to play against."

So, does Bedard's game elevate when he's facing top players?

"I think there's obviously a charge," Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. "They realize who they're playing against and look at. Connor gets to play against some guys he's idolized and I'm sure it puts a jump in his step and I'm sure the other guys are very interested to see him live in a game.

"I know Connor's trained with McDavid in the summers before, but it's not the same as a game, so I'm sure there's interest in both sides and I'm looking forward to seeing the matchups and hopefully that gives Connor a bit of a jump in his game and that'll benefit us."

Playing against the best in the NHL, from Crosby in the season opener to McDavid on Tuesday, is certainly awe-inspiring for Bedard. When the puck drops, his focus is where it needs to be.

"Once you're playing the game, it's hockey and you can't really be thinking about it too much, but before the game and going into a face-off or something, it's definitely pretty special," he said. "I feel pretty fortunate for those opportunities."