The first overall pick made by the Chicago Blackhawks from the 2023 NHL Draft, Connor Bedard, had a decent rookie season. You might not say it was good, as he won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year in the NHL.
However, he did not miss time with a broken jaw in January 2024. In the 68 games he played, he scored 22 goals. It might have been more, but the Blackhawks were a young team and among the worst in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks had an impressive offseason, improving their team by adding the likes of Ilya Mikheyev Teuvo Teravainen, Pat Maroon, Alec Martinez, TJ Brodie, Laurent Brossoit, and 2024 first round draft pick Artyom Levshunov.
Therefore, the Blackhawks gave Connor Bedard every opportunity to score more goals by staying on the ice with the size they added to the roster.
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TSN: TSN Hockey Analyst Frankie Corrado joined Sarah Davis on SportsCenter to discuss the latest topics heading into the 2024-25 NHL Season on the new Inside Edge. Corrado was asked if Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard could surpass the 34 points set by FanDuel this season.
** NHLRumors.com transcript
Sarah Davis: “We're back with Frankie Corrado on the inside edge with an exciting future at FanDuel, and here's how this will work. I'm going to throw some words at you where the line is drawn in terms of over/under, and how many goals these guys will score next season. Are you ready Frankie?”
Frankie Corrado: “I'm ready for Sarah and I always hit under when I was a player, I never finished.
Davis: “Of course, of course. OK? Okay, let's get started. See how good you are at this. In Connor Bedard's second year, he had 22 goals in 68 games as a rookie. FanDuel has set the over-under at 34 and a half. Is Bedard over or under?”
Corrado: “It may seem like a lot compared to last year, but I like Connor Bedard's passing this season. There was one priority for the Chicago Blackhawks this offseason: surround Connor Bedard with other players to be a competitive team and help him reach the top of the league. Because the faster he does that, the faster the Chicago Blackhawks can turn around. So, yes, to Connor Bedard. “
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Davis: “Remember he also had a broken jaw, so he missed a few games.”
Expect Connor Bedard to have a great second season in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks.
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