The Chicago Blackhawks expected big things when they selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. From his youth days, it was clear that he would make a big impact once he entered the NHL.
To say he’s done with that would be an understatement. There are some doubters among him, but he will be leading a crappy NHL team for the second year in a row.
He is also looking for a special history for a franchise that has been around for about a century. With his assist on Tyler Bertuzzi’s goal Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens, Bedard collected his 95th career point.
That passed Patrick Kane for sole possession of the second-most points by a teenager in Blackhawks history. Bedard now needs 34 points this season to keep Ed Olczyk (129 points) in first place and 35 to surpass him.
Bedard doesn’t turn 20 until July 17, so he has every game for the rest of this season to try to make it happen. He would be much closer to the record now if he didn’t miss 14 games during his rookie year due to the jaw injury.
So far this season, Bedard has 34 points from 39 games played. That’s a 71-point pace, which would be just enough to take sole possession of these Blackhawks’ points by a teenager record.
Does Connor Bedard currently have the best situation in Chicago as far as teammates go? No. But despite what’s going on around him, he’s already showing signs of being an elite player at such a young age.
Breaking this long-standing record held by the Chicago Blackhawks would be something monumental for him to have on his resume heading into the summer and year three of his NHL career. It starts on Sunday with the New York Rangers.
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