2024 Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard is looking to build off a strong rookie campaign in the 2024-2025 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard first overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with very high expectations. As an 18-year-old, Bedard flashed his superstar potential on a bottom-feeding Blackhawks squad. Now, entering his age 19 season, many fans and analysts alike are hoping he will take the jump to stardom.
Building Off His Rookie Season
Connor Bedard was the clear Calder Trophy winner following his stellar rookie campaign. He recorded 61 points in 68 games with Chicago. Bedard also tied the record for most points in a game by an 18-year-old with five. Bedard was even named to the NHL All-Star game before an injury sidelined him. Safe to say that even with a bad team around him, Bedard proved to be the real deal.
Now in 2024-2025, the target will be much different for Bedard and the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are turning a corner following their long rebuild, with Bedard leading the way. Bedard will now have the expectations that have been placed on the shoulders of players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. This means Bedard will be expected to produce somewhere in the 80-90 point range this season. He certainly has the skill to do it, the only question will be can the Blackhawks roster help him out?
The Blackhawks New Lineup
The Blackhawks added some new faces to their lineup for this season. Their big additions being forwards Teuvo Teräväinen and Tyler Bertuzzi on multi-year deals. These additions the Hawks made coupled with returning players like Philipp Kurashev and Jason Dickinson should aid in Bedard’s development. It was clear that Bedard was held back in many ways by a weak lineup last season, that shouldn’t be a concern this season.
Now with Bedard hopefully getting some help from his teammates, a lot of pressure can be lifted off his shoulders. The Hawks made moves for Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato last offseason to play along side Bedard. These moves didn’t work out quite as planned and Bedard was left on a bit of an island. With a new and improved lineup, Bedard will have the pieces around him to continue to elevate his play.
Is It Time for Connor Bedard to Wear the “C”?
Since being drafted, the rumour has been that Connor Bedard would someday be named the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. Many fans thought the Hawks would immediately made Bedard captain last offseason, but the team opted to wait. Now that Bedard has a season under his belt, you could argue it’s time for him to wear the “C”. With his overall talent and composure on the ice, Bedard filling in the vacant role could be for the best. General manager Kyle Davidson has stated that he wanted to allow the season to “decompress and then have that conversation in the summer months”.
Other Options for the Captaincy
Bedard would have some big shoes to fill as Jonathan Toews served in the role for 15 seasons. Connor Bedard being named captain would also make him the youngest captain in Blackhawks history at 19. Toews was named captain at 20. That being said, the Hawks have a good mix of veteran leaders who could serve as captain candidates. Nick Foligno has served his role as de facto captain well. The decision will ultimately be up to management whether they believe Bedard is ready for the role or not. However, many fans can agree that Bedard getting the “C” seems inevitable at some point in his career.
With his rookie season behind him and an improved roster in front of him, Connor Bedard has some high expectations heading into year two of his NHL career for the Blackhawks. Bedard, who is touted as a generational talent could see a major boom in production compared to his rookie year. We could also possibly see Bedard sporting the coveted “C” for the Blackhawks. Bedard has already proven he can play at the NHL level, but how will he fare with this new Blackhawks squad?
Main photo: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
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