CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard will not only face an NHL superstar in Nathan MacKinnon on Thursday, he will face someone who was once in his skates.
MacKinnon will lead the Colorado Avalanche (36-19-5) against Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks (15-39-5) at United Center on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN), two No. 1 picks in the NHL Draft going head to head.
So, how does MacKinnon’s rookie season in 2013-14 compare to that of Bedard this season?
Erik Johnson, now a defenseman with the Buffalo Sabres, was with the Avalanche that season, with a firsthand look at the top pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.
“Nate went through a few ups and downs and then ultimately has become one of the best," Johnson said, "and I think Bedard's book is still yet to be written. But I think he is on his way to having a similar trajectory in his career.”
Bedard, a center and the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, leads NHL rookies and the Blackhawks with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 45 games this season. In his rookie season, MacKinnon, also a center, had 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 82 games, tied for first among rookies in goals with Tyler Johnson, then of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and first in assists and points.
“I was fortunate enough where, I wasn’t nearly as good as him (at 18) but also, I was like the 10th-best player on the team," MacKinnon said earlier this month at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto. "So, it was an easier transition for me at a young age.
“He's an awesome talent and awesome kid too. He works super hard, definitely asks questions and is a sponge, for sure.”
MacKinnon being the 10th-best player on that Avalanche team may be underselling it a bit; he finished fourth on Colorado in points behind Matt Duchene (70), Gabriel Landeskog (65) and Ryan O'Reilly (64). And much like Bedard is anticipated to do, MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy, voted as the NHL’s top rookie.
But having an established core probably took some of the heat off MacKinnon his rookie season. Bedard, meanwhile, is the face of the rebuilding Blackhawks, who are working to develop a core around him.
“When Nate arrived in Colorado, we bounced back [his first] year and finished second in the conference,” said Arizona Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny, who was an assistant to coach Patrick Roy that season. “He had really good players around him: Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, PA Parenteau. We had a really good core up front. When you look at what Bedard is going through, they’re going through a rebuild and he’s doing a good job with what he’s doing.”
Bedard’s patented wrist shot was evident from the start this season. He’s creative, his passing game is as strong as his goal-scoring ability, and he has gotten better at not extending his shifts on ice.
How was MacKinnon as a rookie?
“Definitely with MacKinnon there was some maturity to his game,” said O’Reilly, the Nashville Predators center who played for Colorado from 2009-15. “The strength and the speed that he was playing at, the ability and how he was able to stickhandle at top speed, skills that you've seen just flawlessly into the NHL. It was just so impressive that way.
“He was just so fast and explosive, but under full control of that puck at all times. As you can see, he's even gotten better at it. That was something that jumped out right away. There are guys who can skate fast in the League. There are guys who can stickhandle fast. But to do it at the same time, it's extremely difficult. And he's one of the few guys who can do it at that level.”
One thing those who played or coached MacKinnon agree upon is he and Bedard are very different players.
“Nate, he's always been really gifted physically," said Duchene, the Dallas Stars center who played for the Avalanche from 2009-17. "I don't know Bedard very well at all, but for Nate, coming in he was physically well ahead of his years. It took him five or six years to really find his groove, and when he did, he's been one of the best players since.
“[Bedard] has an elite shot. He's got good hands. He's got all the tools. I watched him in World Juniors last year, and he was dominant, obviously. So, that was fun to watch and he's going to have a great career.
“They’re both obviously elite, but they do it very differently.”
Yes they do, but MacKinnon and Bedard have one thing in common: They’re tremendous talents, and they’ve been that way from the start.
“Certain guys just come in and with everything they're able to put together -- the speed, the skill, the shot and the vision -- obviously seeing it with Bedard there, it's the full package,” said Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie, who played for the Avalanche from 2011-19.
“Nate had that his first year. I played with (Avalanche defenseman Cale) Makar his first time coming up and it was kind of the same thing. Those guys who are special, it takes you a practice or a game just to see it. It's pretty cool how developed and prepared they are just to step right in and make such a difference.”
NHL.com independent correspondents Taylor Baird, Heather Engel, Sean Farrell and Robby Stanley contributed to this report
