Is there such a thing as too much media attention? I can easily see a day where Connor Bedard has a jaded relationship with sports media, if he doesn't already. Does that just come with the territory of being the No. 1 pick or is he a special case? -- @Meatball\Sauce\
Too much media attention? Do you mean too much exposure? Too many opportunities to showcase yourself? Too many opportunities to build your own brand? Too many chances to be front and center in the national spotlight? To become the face of a major professional sports league? Goodness, no, there is not a thing as too much media attention and there's absolutely no reason why Bedard would ever develop a jaded relationship with the media that covers him because they're covering him. He's new, the next one, and there's a lot of hype about him, but all the media wants is to do is tell his story, or in many ways allow him to tell his story.
And he is a special case. Not every No. 1 pick gets this much attention on a national scale. In their local markets they do, but Bedard is on Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid levels of attention because he's that special. Auston Matthews got this type of attention in part because he was the No. 1 pick and in part because he plays in Toronto. But not everybody gets this. And guess what? It doesn't appear to be overwhelming to Bedard at all. He's 18 and he's handling it like a seasoned pro. He has said on numerous occasions he's used to the attention. He seems to thrive in the spotlight. That's a great quality. Has anyone ever said Lebron James gets too much attention and it's bad for him? Uh, no. He came into the NBA as the next great one and he has certainly lived up to it while basically living in the media glare his entire career. Derek Jeter the same. Same with Tom Brady. Is it premature to compare Bedard to those legends? Absolutely. But nobody ever wondered if there has ever been or ever was too much media attention around them.
The other thing is nobody appears to be out to get him. There are no "got ya" questions, the kind that try to corner a subject and let him dig his own grave, if you will. Reporters are doing their jobs around Bedard. We're asking him how he's doing, how he's handling all of the attention, what it's like to do all of his firsts (first NHL game, first NHL goal, first time playing against Crosby, first time playing in Toronto, and the first time playing a home game at United Center this Saturday). We're writing stories, talking about him on television, radio, podcasts, etc. There is an audience for Bedard now. The level of attention will taper off as the season progresses, but Bedard, like Crosby and McDavid, will always be a face for hockey and with that comes attention and opportunities on a different level than most. He knows it. And he seems to be good with it.
Any Shane Pinto news? -- @KevinK_92
I'm light on Pinto news other than I know the Ottawa Senators forward, who remains a restricted free agent, has been skating near his Long Island home in Franklin Square, New York after spending some time in Ottawa last week with the hope that his contract situation can be resolved. I'm sure he wants to be playing. In fact, I was told by someone who has talked to Pinto recently that it's killing him that he's not playing. But he clearly won't play for below what him and his agent believe is his market value. Pinto scored 20 goals and had 35 points in 82 games last season, the final year of his three-year entry-level contract. The Senators are in an NHL salary cap crunch and Pinto, though he won't break the bank, probably should be in the neighborhood of a $2 million AAV on his next contract. Nothing will happen until the Senators free up the cap space they need to sign him. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported over the weekend that Pinto has not asked for a trade, a good sign for the Senators, who do not want to trade him. But something has to budge to get him signed, and if that can't happen then the Senators might be forced into trading him. The story is ongoing.
The Detroit Red Wings have not made the playoff since 2016. GM Steve Yzerman is now in Year 5 at the helm. How much longer until we can definitely conclude that the "Yzerplan is failing? What changes need to be made? Moreover, what is working? Why should Red Wings fans feel excited about the future? -- @theashcity
Patience, man. Patience. Rebuilds take time, especially when you don't get lucky in the NHL Draft Lottery.
The Red Wings were trending in the wrong direction and had to go into a full rebuild when Yzerman was hired to replace Ken Holland as general manager April 19, 2019. They had already missed the playoffs in three straight seasons with 79 points, 73 points and 74 points. In many respects the rebuild didn't truly begin until Yzerman took over, but then his first season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. The Red Wings were last in the NHL with 39 points, 23 fewer than any other team, and a .275 points percentage. That was rock bottom. In three seasons since they have improved, first with a .429 points percentage in 2020-21, then a .451 in 2021-22 and a .488 last season, missing the playoffs by 12 points. They've added young talent (forward Lucas Raymond, 21, defenseman Moritz Seider, 22). They added a potential 40-goal scorer (forward Alex DeBrincat). They've surrounded Raymond, Seider and DeBrincat with veteran players (forwards David Perron, J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp, and defensemen Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot and Shayne Gostisbehere). They've named Dylan Larkin captain and have followed his lead. The hired Derek Lalonde as coach before last season; he worked with Yzerman in Tampa Bay. But rebuilds take time, especially when you don't land the No. 1 pick in the draft. Raymond, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is Detroit's highest draft pick since 1990, when Keith Primeau was the No. 3 pick. The Red Wings haven't gotten lucky in the NHL Draft Lottery. Now they should be too good to think they should get lucky in it.
That's why fans should be excited. The Red Wings are not a team that needs to bank on winning a draft lottery to fuel their rebuild. They're better than that. They should be in the mix to compete for a playoff spot this season. They've taken strides in each season under Yzerman. The next step this season is to be in the mix. It's OK if they miss as they're in the hunt.
