Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard On Pace To Be An NHL Superstar

Connor Bedard

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Connor Bedard has been a hot topic lately for the Chicago Blackhawks. Even though the team sits at the bottom of the NHL standings, fans can get excited about No. 98.

On Monday, the Blackhawks faced the Calgary Flames and lost 5-2. However, there’s a lot to like about Bedard’s play over the last 11 games. The center has five goals and 13 points in that span, including a nine-game point streak.

In Monday’s outing, Bedard scored a power-play goal to cut Calgary’s lead down to 4-2. He sniped it past Dustin Wolf from the right faceoff circle.

This tally was his 100th career point and 12th goal of the season. With that, he becomes the 24th teenager to reach 100 points and the fastest to do it since Sidney Crosby, who achieved that milestone in 80 games in the 2005-06 season, according to the NHL.

Bedard matches Auston Matthews for reaching the century mark in 112 games. He also beat out superstars, such as Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils. MacKinnon achieved it in 143 games and Hughes in 160 games.

Chicago’s 19-year-old also beats out those two in goals in their first 112 games. Bedard scored 34 goals, compared to MacKinnon’s 29 and Hughes’ 21.

Connor McDavid, meanwhile, was injured during his rookie season like Bedard was, but he only needed 92 games to get 100 points.

As for some other No. 1 picks, John Tavares took 135 games to record 100 points, while Steven Stamkos reached that milestone in 132 games.

Chicago’s last first-overall pick before Bedard, Patrick Kane, got his 100th point in his 104th game. And Alex Ovechkin needed just 77 games, but he was drafted before the cancelled 2004-05 season, so he had another year of development before entering the NHL.

Needless to say, Bedard’s in promising company. But despite reaching the milestone, he was anything but pleased with how the transpired for the team.

“It’s really frustrating,” Bedard told reporters post-game. “We’re competitive athletes, and we take a lot of pride in our games, our group as a team and our fan base. It’s been hard. It’s been a lot of games to lose. It weighs on you. Yeah, I mean, just trying to find a way of it, trying to get better every day. But it’s hard.”

The Blackhawks have lost three-straight games and four out of the last five. They’re 14-28-2 on the year and sit last in the NHL with 30 points and a .341 points percentage. Bedard leads the team with 39 points in 44 games.