The Chicago Blackhawks have a problem to solve. Connor Bedard is the face of the franchise due to his previous dominance in the levels prior to the NHL. He was the number one pick in the 2023 NHL Draft with generational hype.
After a rookie season that earned him the Calder Trophy, there has been somewhat of a second slump so far this year. His total number of assists (12) is fine, but he has only three goals and has gone 11 times in a row without scoring a single goal.
Things also went poorly in other parts of the game. While he was on the ice Thursday night against the Florida Panthers, the Hawks were defeated 10-0. Fortunately, he was able to be a passenger for a big win over the defending champions.
Speaking after practice on Thursday, Bedard had a few things to start that you don’t want to hear from a young superstar.
Connor Bedard looked the most discouraged I’ve ever seen him after today’s practice.
‘I could name a hundred things [I could do better]. I don’t know, dude. It’s certainly been frustrating. I just don’t feel like I’m really doing anything. Keep tinkering with it, I guess, and hopefully…
— Ben Paus (@BenPopeCST) November 22, 2024
Bedard is incredibly self-focused. Your self-confidence won’t always be at its highest level, but this is a new low. It’s not good that he feels like he’s doing nothing at all.
Whether it’s general manager Kyle Davidson, head coach Luke Richardson, captain Nick Foligno or anyone else in the organization, one of these elders needs to get into Bedard’s head and feed him positivity. If they don’t, it will be a long season for the 19-year-old.
Bedard’s next chance to find the back of the net comes during a matinee on Saturday. They go to Philadelphia to take on the Philadelphia Flyers. This is a one-game road trip before returning home before Thanksgiving.
Earlier this week, Teuvo Teravainen made similar comments about his lack of confidence. A day later he came out and scored. Now Bedard wishes the same thing happened to him. He’s too talented to feel that way.
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