Connor Bedard Caps Whirlwind Season with Calder Trophy Win – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The National Hockey League held its annual NHL Awards show on Thursday (June 27) in Las Vegas, the day before the 2024 NHL Draft (June 28 and June 29). Not surprisingly, the Chicago Blackhawks 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to “the most professional player in his first year of NHL competition.” Bedard was nominated over defensemen Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, who both won the award. Let's take a look at why Bedard is such a worthy recipient of this award.

Bedard's first season of NHL success

As soon as the Blackhawks learned they had the first pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, it was a foregone conclusion that their selection would be Bedard. Everyone knew that this young player was special, even at such a young age. Bedard was just 17 years old at the time of writing, turning 18 on July 17. Believe it or not, the North Vancouver, British Columbia native will be just 19 years old for the entire 2024-25 season. But he has proven that he can play, and do well, at the NHL level.

The youngster got off to a strong start, tallying his first NHL goal in his second NHL game, against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 11. He was named player of the month in both November (six goals and 12 points in 12 games) and December (five goals and 15 points in 15 games). Yes, there was a setback in Jan. 5 when Bedard suffered a broken jaw from a hit by Brendan Smith of the New Jersey Devil.

But he was able to participate in the 2024 All-Star festivities, and was a big advocate for him to return to play in the near future. Bedard was given a time frame of six to eight weeks for his injury, but he ended up returning to work for just one day six weeks. He picked up where he left off, registering two goals and six points in his first three games back. He was also named player of the month AGAIN in March, making him the first player to win the award three times in one season since Connor McDavid did it in the 2015-16 season.

Related – 5 thoughts on the Blackhawks Ahead of the 2024 NHL draft

Overall, Bedard finished his rookie season with 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games. This was a team lead in all three categories (Jason Dickinson was tied for 22 goals), and led all NHL rookies, despite Bedard missing 14 games due to jaw surgery. It's safe to say he exceeded expectations, as we all watched the young phenom blossom into stardom.

Bedard Succeeds Despite Little Help About Him

To put all of this in perspective, we have to remember that Bedard was putting up these offensive numbers on one of the worst teams in the NHL. The Blackhawks finished the season 31st^St at the top, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks. It is a well-known fact that the organization is on a rebuilding mission. When Bedard entered the picture, he became the team's top center, regardless of his rookie status and lack of NHL experience. He just had so much talent. This meant that on any given night Bedard was often paired with the opposition's top players. To add insult to injury, there weren't many options on the list to help the 18-year-old out.

CONNOR BEDARD IS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 🔥 pic.twitter.com/B6YUTWYMjt

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 27, 2024

But the Blackhawks and head coach Luke Richardson did their best. Throughout the season, Bedard's constant teammates were Nick Foligno, Philipp Kurashev and Ryan Donato. While they are all respected players, they may not be considered first-line assets for other teams.

However, Bedard went to work with what he had. He developed excellent chemistry with Kurashev, who had a breakout campaign last season. His 18 goals and 36 assists (54 points) eclipsed his previous record of 9 goals, 16 assists and 25 points (from the 2022-23 season).

Donato's 18 assists were a career high, and his 30 points were just shy of his 2021-22 season high of 31 points with the Seattle Kraken. Even Foligno posted numbers (17G, 20A, 37P) similar to those of the past in his heyday with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Unfortunately, Taylor Hall was only eligible for 10 games this past season due to ACL surgery. Perhaps Bedard would have found more success alongside a player of Hall's caliber, a former No. 1 of his own choosing.

Bedard Versus Faber Probably Wrong

Bedard certainly arrived as advertised. Despite the disability described above, he showed improvement in drawing more penalties, being physical and responsible in defense as the season progressed. Some pundits (especially those from Minnesota) would say that Faber was also a better fit for Calder. After all, due to injuries, the singer was an important part of the Wild's defensive team, while he still managed to finish the season with a minus-1 plus/minus rating (Bedard was minus-44).

Related – Connor Bedard vs. Brock Faber: Who Will Win the Calder Trophy?

But let's face it, hockey fans love to see the puck in the back of the net. They love their bright, often prominent reels. It's probably unfair to compare forwards and defensemen. Full props to Faber, and to Hughes for that matter. But this award was always looking towards Bedard.

The Future Looks Bright for Bedard & the Blackhawks

Which brings us to our final section. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has made it clear that he wants to get the Blackhawks out of the basement this coming season. The team won't be in playoff contention right away (it's not just a rebuilding career) but you want it to be very competitive.

One of the main ways they can do that is to surround Bedard with more talent. Hall is signed with the Blackhawks for one more season, so that should give Bedard more immediate support. Andreas Athanasiou (only 28 games played last season) should also provide additional depth.

But now we know the Blackhawks are looking to sign one or two top six players via trade or free agency. (from 'NHL Rumblings: Trade talks heat up for Laine, Necas, Ehlers, more, and latest on Cooper-Canada' – The Athletic – 06/12/2024). In fact, Davidson is already making things happen. On the Wednesday night before the draft (June 26), he made a deal with the Vancouver Canucks in a tiebreaker. The Blackhawks acquired speedy forward Ilya Mikheyev, the rights to pending free agent Sam Lafferty (former Blackhawk) and a Canuck second-round pick in 2027. All this in exchange for a 2027 fourth round pick to the Blackhawks.

Time will tell how Mikheyev fits into the lineup and whether he ends up being part of Bedard. But this is all exciting news for Blackhawks fans. Not only do they have a Calder Trophy recipient to watch, but there should be an even better team around him this coming season.

Related – Connor Bedard's Rookie Season Was Anything But Disappointing

Bedard officially has his first piece of NHL hardware under his belt. He is the future face of the franchise, and many experts believe it is only a matter of time before he becomes the next captain of the Blackhawks. But this is just the beginning of this rising superstar. What exactly will he accomplish next?