Connor Bedard can never fail to impress, can he? At just 19, the Blackhawks star has been taking the hockey world by storm with his scintillating performances on the ice. Bedard has already scored 20 goals so far in his second season in the NHL, continuing his fine form from last season, where he scored 22 goals and assisted 39 others. In the process, he also went on to join a special list of players to achieve a crazy record in the league.

With his 20th goal this season, Bedard joined the likes of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Artemi Panarin, and Alex DeBrincat to become the fifth player in the Blackhawks’ team in the last 20 years to start his career with consecutive 20-goal seasons. The Canadian sensation has been dubbed one of the most exciting prospects in the NHL and his statistics are exactly showing why he is rated highly by many pundits.

However, Connor Bedard’s performances this season have been in stark contrast to his team’s results so far. While he is thriving on the ice, the Blackhawks have struggled for the majority of this season and sit at the bottom of the Central Division. With the Stanley Cup Playoffs chances looking bleak, NHL insider Craig Button warned Bedard against a contract extension with the Blackhawks, saying, “The Chicago Blackhawks are awful. If I was Bedard’s agent, I wouldn’t sign him to any extension. There’s no benefit to signing early. He’ll make the same money if he waits until next July. Plus, waiting opens him up to potential offer sheets.” 

Even as Button wanted Bedard to move on from the Blackhawks, the team’s general manager, Kyle Davidson, had other ideas. He was all praise for the team’s young talent and was confident of the Blackhawks’ rebuild next season.

Blackhawks’ GM issues special praise for Connor Bedard

While Davidson acknowledged the team’s struggles this season as they sit at the bottom of their division, he also felt a glimmer of hope in the form of young talents like Bedard. The 19-year-old has been putting on consistent performances this season and is the only bright light in an otherwise gloomy season for the Blackhawks. As a result, Davidson was all praise for the special talent in the form of Bedard.

The GM said, “Connor has taken some really nice steps this year. I get the attention he gets. He’s a high-profile player. I think people pick every word apart way too much. He’s a competitive player who doesn’t like to lose. His words are taken much further than everybody else’s and are getting read into too much. You’re starting to see his offensive creativity blossom over the last little while.”

With the playoff chances all but over for the Blackhawks, they would look to end their campaign on a positive note going into the next season. Thus, the onus lies on stars like Connor Bedard to continue their fine form and give something to cheer for the Blackhawks’ fanbase.