It’s safe to say superstar Connor Bedard has enjoyed his fair share of hype throughout his young career. After being tabbed as the “future of hockey” a year before he was drafted at age 17, Bedard has somehow exceeded expectations every step of the way, putting together an incredible Calder Trophy season last year despite having virtually zero scoring help and missing 14 games due to injury. With all the veteran talent being injected at the NHL level, and Bedard a year removed from the draft frenzy, the hype seems to have died down a bit.
As we begin to ramp up toward the start of the season, however, that’s no longer the case. Bedard was brought back into the spotlight a few weeks ago when Paul Pidutti wrote that we could see him ascend to the 40-goal, 100-point range. This week, two of the most renowned insiders in the business added fuel to Bedard’s somehow growing flame.
“Bedard…. He also looks thicker, He’s a STRONG guy.”
– Elliotte Friedman, ‘32 Thoughts’ Podcast
“Seeing the kind of shape he’s in, I’m expecting a 40 & 40 season for him.”
– Paul Bissonnette, Spittin’ Chiclets
Throughout this summer, much of the focus around Bedard has been on his physical upgrades. There’s no question the 19-year-old has the skills to be one of the elite players of the league, but his biggest issue last season was on the defensive end of the ice. Bedard wasn’t quite physical enough to make plays on opposing attackers, and his plus-minus clearly suffered as a result.
This summer, Bedard seems to have targeted that part of his game in a big way. Many said he was on the ice Monday through Friday all offseason, and he’s always the last player out there after practices. Last week, Bissonnette crossed paths with Bedard, who happened to be completing the “Grouse Grind”, a 2.9-kilometer trail up the face of Grouse Mountain outside Vancouver. Bissonnette said Bedard wasn’t even done there.
When projecting Bedard’s sophomore season, much of the focus will be on how he’ll mesh with potential new linemates like Tyler Bertuzzi, a clear upgrade from players like Ryan Donato and Nick Foligno on the top line. While his teammates could have a big impact on his game, he’s also taking matters into his own hands. Bedard will be bigger, stronger, and more effective at both ends of the ice this fall, and that could be just what his game needs to take another step forward.
