After coming off a four-game road trip, the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Chicago Blackhawks and their outstanding rookie, Connor Bedard, for the first time in the 2023-24 season. The Blackhawks come into Thursday’s game (Nov. 9) with a record of 4-7-0 for eight points. The previous game was Sunday (Nov. 5), when they fell to the New Jersey Devils, 4-2.
Despite their record, the Blackhawks were able to hand the Vegas Golden Knights their first loss of the season on Oct. 27 and recently handed the Florida Panthers a 5-2 defeat on Nov. 4. THW Blackhawks writer Gail Kauchak helps us break down the matchup and provides insight into Bedard’s performance to date and what the Lightning might expect in facing the 18-year-old for the first time.
Two First-Overall Picks, Fifteen Years Apart
When Bedard skates for the first time at Amalie Arena, he will also take the ice against Steven Stamkos, who was also a first overall selection back in 2008. Bedard has seven points in 11 games, putting him on pace to score just over 50 points for the season. In contrast, Stamkos scored 46 points in 79 games in his rookie season and has amassed 1,068 points in 1,013 games.
For a player who has been compared to such greats as Wayne Gretzky (2,857 points in 1,487 games) and Sidney Crosby (1,514 points in 1,201 games), I asked Kauchak if the Blackhawks and their fans would be satisfied with Bedard if, after 15 years in the league, he posted the excellent but more modest numbers that will be more similar to Stamkos, than of the greats he has been compared to.
“Stamkos has certainly put up some excellent career numbers. I don’t think any fan would bemoan his career to date, which obviously still isn’t over. I mean, he’s had five seasons with over 90 points and six seasons with over 40 goals. It’s impressive that he can be that consistent despite struggling with injuries. Our THW Blackhawks’ crew debated how many points they would predict for Bedard in his first season. We all feel he’s capable of somewhere around 75-80-plus points. Now, this is much more than Stamkos’ 46 points in his rookie season. Do I dare say I think Bedard can surpass this?”
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Kauchak also said, “This kid just seems to have all the right tools to be successful for a long time and be one of the best in the world. I’m still pinching myself the Blackhawks got him, and I’m fortunate enough to cover him from the beginning of his NHL career. No offense to Stamkos, but I guess we are expecting more.”
What to Expect From Bedard and the Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have struggled this season offensively as they look to have their mix of seasoned veterans and young talent working on being cohesive units. The Blackhawks were 29th in goals scored (2.36), 30th in shots on goal (26.8), and 28th on the power play (10.5 percent). If you think the Lightning have issues in the faceoff circle, the Blackhawks rank last in that area, winning just 42 percent of those faceoffs, which is better than what they did over the first eight games when they had won only (37 percent) of their faceoffs. This lack of offense has frustrated Bedard and the other young ‘Hawks.
This frustration was very apparent earlier in the year when Kauchak noted that “Bedard’s growing frustration was clear. He was trying to be too cute and forcing plays. Let’s face it, the NHL presents a little bit different animal. The game is faster and played differently, and the young center will need to adjust accordingly.”
As a sign that Bedard and the team are getting better, the native of North Vancouver has three goals and three assists in the last four games. However, a poor effort against the Devils led to a players-only meeting after that game. Not much information was shared from that meeting, but it was clear that the Blackhawks are trying to set a high standard for their younger players in the locker room, and they don’t want any of them to get used to losing. It will be interesting to see if that meeting immediately impacts them when they face the Lightning.
Former Lightning Return
The Lightning and Blackhawks have been part of significant trades in the past few years, which will lead to a reunion of sorts from members of each team. The most recent transaction involved Corey Perry, whose rights were traded to the Blackhawks in June on the second day of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. So far, this has proven to be a good move for the Blackhawks, as the 38-year-old has been a leader in and out of the locker room.
According to Kauchak, Perry has had a solid start to the season, with two goals and five assists in the first 11 games for the Blackhawks. His seven points are currently tied with Bedard for the team high. He’s also done an excellent job of taking Bedard and the other youth under his wing. When the team had a players-only meeting after their 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils (Nov. 5), Perry was one of the players who met with the media about it. He spoke of holding each other accountable and the team being a brotherhood.
In another interesting twist to this game, Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh is scheduled to play against his brother Taylor, a Blackhawk forward. Taylor was a 2016 Draft pick of the Lightning and was part of the 2022 Trade Deadline deal that brought Brandon Hagel to the Lightning. In addition to Taylor Raddysh and Perry, current Blackhawk players Tyler Johnson and Boris Katchouk were part of the Lightning organization.
Related: Blackhawks vs. Lightning: Hagel, Raddysh, Predictions & More
In addition to the Lightning wanting to win against the Blackhawks, the other storylines involving the first game against Bedard and all the former players who have been part of both organizations will make this regular-season contest a bit more interesting.
