Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Earlier this week, Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard was criticized by former NHLer Paul Bissonnette for playing ”pond hockey”. But Bedard and his Blackhawks organization did what is best to do in situations like this one – with a firm and convincing reply on the ice.
Indeed, Bedard produced a goal and two points Friday night against Nashville, giving him 16 goals and 48 points in 54 games this season. That puts the 19-year-old on pace to post 24 goals and 73 points in 82 games – better numbers than the 22-goal, 61-point totals from his rookie season. And while it’s been a difficult season for Bedard – a product of the Hawks’ status as one of the worst teams in the league – it was heartening for Chicago fans to see Bedard respond to the criticism with a solid game Friday. And it was also heartening to see the Blackhawks’ social media team respond by taking a shot back at Bissonnette, pointing out that Bedard has 22 points in his last 21 games, while Bissonnette had just 22 points throughout his entire NHL career.
This isn’t to say Bedard’s game is flawless. He’s got a plus-minus of minus-21, and that speaks to the defensive side of Bedard’s play. But it also speaks to Bedard playing on a dismal Chicago team, and that’s something that’s more or less out of Bedard’s control. He’s always going to have a high profile given his status of being a first-overall draft pick, but Bedard is – and still can be – the bedrock on which the Blackhawks build their team for the next decade-and-a-half or longer.
Bedard won the 2023-24 Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie because of his tremendous vision for the game, his ability to create and finish plays on offense, and make goaltenders look silly by picking them apart and getting pucks past them. He’s still got lessons to learn at both ends of the ice, but deriding him as some people do only sets them up to look silly themselves. That’s what happened with Bissonnette, and that’s what is going to happen with others who love to hate much-talked-about talents like Bedard.
Bedard has said he couldn’t care less about what’s been said about him, and that’s the proper approach. By letting his play do the talking, Bedard is going to challenge his critics the way his critics have challenged him. And the skills that made him a first-overall pick are going to speak louder than anything Bedard might say.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum.
