The National Hockey League held their annual NHL Awards Show on Thursday (June 27) in Las Vegas, the day before the 2024 NHL Draft (June 28 and June 29). To absolutely no one’s surprise, the Chicago Blackhawks 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Connor Bedard was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy, given once a year “to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL.” Bedard was selected over defensemen Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, both of whom were also finalists for this award. Let’s look at why Bedard is such a worthy recipient for this award.
Bedard’s First NHL Season a Success
As soon as the Blackhawks learned they had the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, it was a forgone conclusion their selection would be Bedard. Everyone knew this young player was special, even at such a young age. Bedard was only 17 years old at the time of the draft, turning 18 on July 17. Believe it or not, the North Vancouver, British Columbia native will be only 19 years old throughout the entire 2024-25 season. But he’s already proven he can play, and excel, at the NHL level.
The teenager started out strong, tallying his first NHL goal in his second NHL game, against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 11. He was named the rookie 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 the setback on Jan. 5 where Bedard sustained a jaw broken from a hit by New Jersey Devil’s Brendan Smith.
But he still managed to participate in the 2024 All-Star festivities, and was his own biggest advocate for returning to play sooner rather than later. Bedard was given a timeline of six-to-eight weeks for his injury, but he ended up returning to action just one day shy of six weeks. He picked up right where he left off, registering two goals and six points in his first three games back. He was named the rookie of the month AGAIN in March, making him the first player to win this honor three times in one season since Connor McDavid did so in the 2015-16 season.
Related – 5 Blackhawks Thoughts Before 2024 NHL Draft
All in all, Bedard finished his rookie season compiling 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games. This was the best on the team in all three categories (Jason Dickinson was tied with 22 goals), and led all NHL rookies as well, despite Bedard missing 14 games due to jaw surgery. It’s safe to say he exceeded expectations, as we’ve all watched the young phenom blossom into a superstar.
Bedard Excels Despite Little Help Around Him
To put this all in perspective, we must remember that Bedard was putting up these offensive numbers on one of the worst teams in the NHL. The Blackhawks finished the season 31st in the standings, ahead of only the San Jose Sharks. It’s common knowledge the organization is in the process of rebuilding. When Bedard entered the picture, he became the de facto top center on the team, regardless of his rookie status and lack of NHL experience. He simply had the most talent. This meant on any given night Bedard usually matched up against the opposing team’s top players. To add insult to injury, there simply weren’t a whole lot of options on the roster 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 managed as best they could. Throughout the season, Bedard’s most consistent linemates were Nick Foligno, Philipp Kurashev and Ryan Donato. While these are all very reputable players, they likely wouldn’t be considered first-line commodities on other teams.
Yet Bedard went to work with what he had. He developed the best chemistry with Kurashev, who had a breakout campaign this past season. His 18 goals and 36 assists (54 points) blew away his previous career-highs of nine goals, 16 assists and 25 points (from the 2022-23 season).
Donato’s 18 helpers were a career-high, and his 30 points was just one shy of his career-high 31 points in his 2021-22 season with the Seattle Kraken. Even Foligno posted numbers (17G, 20A, 37P) similar to back in his heyday with Columbus Blue Jackets.
It was unfortunate Taylor Hall only suited up for 10 games this past season due to ACL surgery. Perhaps Bedard would have found even more success alongside a player of Hall’s caliber, a former No. 1 pick himself.
Bedard Versus Faber Almost Unfair
Bedard certainly came as advertised. Despite the handicaps described above, he showed improvement at drawing more penalties, being more physical and more responsible defensively as the season went on. Some pundits (especially those in Minnesota) would say Faber was also very deserving of the Calder. After all, due to injuries this rookie was an integral piece of the Wild’s defensive corps, while still managing to finish the season with a minus-1 plus/minus rating (Bedard was a 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 highlight reels, which usually come from the forwards. It’s almost unfair to compare forwards to defensemen. Full props to Faber, and to Hughes for that matter. But this award was always going to Bedard.
The Future Looks Bright for Bedard & Blackhawks
Which brings us to our final segment. Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson has made it clear he wants to bring the Blackhawks out of the basement this coming season. The team isn’t going to jump into playoff contention right away (that’s just not how rebuilds work) but he wants them to be more 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 immediately give Bedard more support. Andreas Athanasiou (only 28 games played last season) should provide more depth as well.
But we now know the Blackhawks are looking to sign one or two top-six forwards via trade or free agency. (from ‘NHL Rumblings: Trade talk heats up on Laine, Necas, Ehlers, and more, plus latest on Cooper-Canada’ – The Athletic – 06/12/2024). As a matter of fact, Davidson is already making things happen. On Wednesday night before the draft (June 26), he made a deal with the cap-strapped Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks received speedy forward Ilya Mikheyev, the rights to the gritty pending free agent Sam Lafferty (a former Blackhawk) and the Canuck’s 2027 second-round pick. All this in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick from the Blackhawks.
Time will tell how Mikheyev contributes to the lineup and whether he ends up being a complementary piece for 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 a much better team around him this coming season.
Related – Connor Bedard’s Rookie Season Was Anything But a Disappointment
Bedard officially has his first piece of NHL hardware under his belt. He’s the future face of the franchise, and most pundits believe it’s only a matter of time before he becomes the next captain of the Blackhawks. But this is only the beginning for this rising superstar. Just what will he accomplish next?
