Connor Bedard has yet another opportunity to put himself into the history books for the Chicago Blackhawks in his second NHL season. The former first overall pick has joined countless clubs with his 20-goal season that he has posted.
This includes him being only the second teenager in Blackhawks history to have multiple 20-goal seasons, along with franchise great Eddie Olczyk. He also became the fifth Blackhawk in the last 20 years to start his career with consecutive 20-goal seasons, joining the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin, and Alex DeBrincat.
There is no denying the fact that Bedard’s second season in the NHL hasn’t gone according to plan. While his numbers are respectable, the thought of him hitting the 30-goal mark in a full season was certainly on the mind of many fans ahead of this year. After missing 14 games last year due to injury, him being fully unleashed with a much better roster around him should’ve resulted in more scoring for the 19-year-old.
Despite the down year for the team, their young franchise cornerstone has the chance to make more history with eight games to go on the season.
Connor Bedard has another group that he could potentially join
Connor Bedard has 58 points (20G, 38A) this season and is two points away from becoming the 11th teenager in NHL history with multiple 60-point seasons, joining Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine.
🔴 Connor Bedard has 58 points (20G, 38A) this season and is two points away from becoming the 11th teenager in NHL history with multiple 60-point seasons, joining Sidney Crosby and Patrik Laine. pic.twitter.com/hEg8VOBgza
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 2, 2025
Bedard collected his 61 points a season ago in just 68 games. He scored 22 goals and added 39 helpers to get him to that mark, with plenty of highlight-reel plays being made along the way. Bedard is still in search of his first career hat trick, and there is a very real possibility that it won’t come until his third season in the league.
Bedard will be centering the top line in Wednesday night’s home game against the Avalance, with Ilya Mikheyev and Ryan Donato on his wings. Donato has played frequently with Bedard this season, but interim head coach Anders Sorensen choosing to split up the youngster with fellow speedy forward Frank Nazar is an interesting decision.
Keeping Bedard in the middle will give him more space to be creative with the puck and a chance to set up his wingers for success in a matchup with a strong playoff team at home.
The Chicago Blackhawks have Connor Bedard in a good spot
The youth movement has entered the NHL for the Blackhawks with full force, and it will only help Bedard moving forward. A big issue with some of the veterans who have played alongside him in his two seasons with Chicago thus far is that they can’t keep up with his pace. Bringing in guys like Oliver Moore and Nazar will elevate Bedard’s game and make the Blackhawks an annoying team to matchup with moving forward, based on how fast they play.
Getting a legitimate NHL head coach this summer is arguably the most important part of Chicago’s offseason. While the draft will matter a ton to the front office, getting an established guy behind the bench for Bedard and others who has won at the highest level before could finally get the franchise out of the league’s basement.
Chicago Blackhawks interim head coach has seen strides in 20-year-old defenseman’s game
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
