Bedard expectations for Blackhawks discussed on 'NHL Draft Class' podcast

Connor Bedard very well could have 30 goals and 70 points as a rookie this season for the Chicago Blackhawks, according to TSN director of scouting and NHL analyst Craig Button.

Bedard, a center who played for Regina in the Western Hockey League, was chosen No. 1 by the Blackhawks in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28.

"Is he going to dominate in the NHL in his first year? I don't think so, but realistically I think 30 goals and 70 points is realistic for Connor because he's going to get prime power-play time and he's got all the requisite skills," Button said on the "NHL Draft Class" podcast in the final episode of the season. "Maybe if he was on a different team with a little bit more skill, he might be able to get a few more points, but 30 goals in the National Hockey League is hard, but I think he'll get better over the course of the year.

"What I would say, having watched Connor for as long as I have now, is don't set the bar too low because he sets the bar high."

Bedard won Canadian Hockey League Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards after leading the WHL in goals (71), points (143), shots on goal (360), points per game (2.51) and goals per game (1.24) in 57 regular-season games. He finished tied for the league lead in assists (72) and game-winning goals (11).

Button also offered insight into the teams he thought made out well at the 2023 draft, and a few choices who were surprising.

"The Blackhawks got Connor Bedard and Oliver Moore (of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team) in the first round, so you're now looking at two centers that can drive play," Button said. "Bedard has that superstar quality and I think Moore is a lot like Dylan Larkin. So, if you're starting to build your team like (Blackhawks general manager) Kyle Davidson wants to in Chicago, it's one thing to start with Connor Bedard, but now you have Oliver Moore?

"That is fantastic to me."

"NHL Draft Class" co-hosts Adam Kimelman and Mike G. Morreale also asked Button to provide his initial thoughts on Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini and NTDP forward Cole Eiserman, the two top prospects eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.

The podcast is free, and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms, including iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts. It also is available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.

Listen: New episode of NHL Draft Class