Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft, has taken the NHL by storm 20 weeks into his professional career. Each Monday, NHL.com will take a look at what Bedard has done and what’s ahead for him with the Connor Bedard watch.
WHAT HE’S DONE
Bedard returned in a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 15, just under six weeks after sustaining a fractured jaw against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 5. The 18-year-old picked up where he left off, with a three-game point streak. He had an assist against the Penguins, two points (one goal, one assist) in a 3-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 17 and three points (one goal, two assists) in a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 19. Bedard leads all NHL rookies, and the Blackhawks, with 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 45 games. Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber is next among rookies with 34 points (four goals, 30 assists) in 58 games.
WHAT’S AHEAD THIS WEEK
The Blackhawks will wrap up their five-game homestand at United Center this week. They play the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; ESPN) and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; BSOH, NBCSCH). It’s the third meeting this season between the Blackhawks and Avalanche, and second against the Blue Jackets.
MOST INTRIGUING MATCHUP
Bedard vs. Nathan MacKinnon
Sure, we’ve seen it twice before, but it’s worth seeing a third time. MacKinnon scored when the Avalanche defeated the Blackhawks 4-0 on Oct. 21. Bedard had two assists and MacKinnon had one in Chicago’s 3-2 win against Colorado on Dec. 19. MacKinnon is having an incredible season, with 96 points (34 goals, 62 assists) in 34 games, second in the NHL behind Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who has 102 points (38 goals, 64 assists) in 59 games. One of the best newcomers against one of the best veterans in the NHL? Yes, please.
MOST ANTICIPATED GAME
Blackhawks vs. Avalanche
Yes, this is the matchup we’re going to be watching this week. It’s a national game, and it goes beyond Bedard vs. MacKinnon. It’s a great test for Bedard and the Blackhawks against the Avalanche, who entered Monday’s game third in the Central Division, tied in points with the second-place Winnipeg Jets and three points behind the first-place Dallas Stars. Bedard loves playing against the League’s best, and he’ll see that not only with MacKinnon, but with forward Mikko Rantanen, who is second in scoring for the Avalanche with 74 points (30 goals, 44 assists), and defenseman Cale Makar, who is third with 61 points (13 goals, 48 assists).
EDGE STAT OF THE WEEK
Bedard is in the 95th percentile in distance skated per 60 minutes of ice time and skated his greatest distance in a single game (4.32 miles) against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 21.
THEY SAID IT
“He’s been amazing. He’s been great. We talk about the fans and the city and how it’s such a great sports town, and he’s in a great spot for that. I think the fans deserve another long run of a great hockey player and hopefully great teams behind him. But I think it’s a great way to kind of start the rebuild, and to start with a player like that definitely accelerates it a little bit. But he’s been special. I’m sure you guys see it covering him every night. He’s worth the price of admission. He does special things. He’s going to be a great player for a long time.” -- Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane on Bedard
