Bedard ‘already such a pro’ heading into 1st season with Blackhawks

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard said he has some things to work on before proclaiming himself ready to play in the NHL, but teammate Taylor Hall has a different opinion.

“He’s one of the most-ready players I’ve ever seen come in at 18, and I’ve seen a few,” Hall said Wednesday. “Him and (Edmonton Oilers forward) Connor (McDavid), I would say are about the same readiness in the way that they came in.”

Hall would know; he and McDavid were teammates in 2015-16, McDavid’s rookie season after he was selected by the Oilers with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He has played left wing this preseason on Bedard’s line.

Bedard was selected No. 1 by the Blackhawks earlier this year and has been hyped up almost as much as McDavid, who has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP three times and has 850 points (303 goals, 547 assists) in 569 games.

Bedard will play his final preseason game for Chicago against the Minnesota Wild at United Center on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; BSWI, BSN, NBCSCH). Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said Tuesday they may not have a “full, full lineup” when they visit the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Next week, Bedard will face his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby, when the Blackhawks play the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Oct. 10 (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN1, TVAS) to start the season and what is expected to be a brilliant career.

So, does Bedard feel ready?

“I don't know. I mean, just kind of taking it day by day,” he said Wednesday, one day after having an empty-net goal and two assists in a 4-2 preseason win against the Detroit Red Wings. “I'm always confident in myself, that's big, but yeah, there are definitely areas I can get better in, and just kind of obviously every day you've got to really go into it well because you know that there's not much time now until the real games start.”

Bedard led the Western Hockey League in goals (71), points (143), shots on goal (360), points per game (2.51) and goals per game (1.25) in 57 regular-season games with Regina last season. He's been tasked with expediting a rebuild and helping bring the Blackhawks back to the success of their Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

So far, Bedard has enjoyed adjusting to the NHL game.

“It's pretty funny … it's still preseason with kind of all the stuff around it, but yeah, it's just like a lot of learning and for me it's good to have these games,” Bedard said. “There's been good things, there's obviously been things you need to clean up, but that's with anything. So, just kind of try to get better every day and each game feel more and more comfortable.”

He’s logged more than 20 minutes of ice time twice, playing 21:20 in a 2-1 overtime win against the Blues on Sept. 28. He’s also on the top power-play unit, which includes Hall, forwards Ryan Donato and Corey Perry and defenseman Seth Jones.

The Blackhawks have let Bedard learn as he goes and haven’t held him back in games. Richardson said that’ll continue, as it will with other young players. 

“There are going to be games when if they’re really going, we’re going to ride them just like we would anybody and there are going to be games when Corey and Nick (Foligno) are going and if we need something and it’s at the end of the game, those guys will be going,” Richardson said.

“I had no problem putting Connor out at the end of the game (on Tuesday). He didn’t ice the puck on an empty net. I think he was very shocked that the goalie was out of the net. He said he had to look twice, he couldn’t believe it, but he did the right thing. He’s not trying to make a play there. Just end the game, and that’s what you do. You’re not making buddies and padding someone else’s stats or being a nice guy. You’re ending the game. It’s the NHL and you want to win.”

Bedard has been impressive thus far. Camp is almost over. The real season is about to begin, and Hall said he’s ready for it.

“The thing with [Bedard] is he’s already such a pro. He conducts himself like a 26-year-old around the rink. He may not know how to make his own meals yet, but he certainly knows how to warm up for practices and do workouts and all that stuff,” Hall said. “I know that doesn’t sound like much, but that’s something you really learn as you become an NHLer is how to be a pro and he’s already got that down.

“So, I think you’re going to see, as the games get going in the regular season, you’re going to see a lot of improvement, just even period to period.”