Connor Bedard has gone from star of the Hockey World Championships to struggling

Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard got off to a great start in the Hockey World Championship. He was the star of Team Canada over the first three games.

Since then, he has been held scoreless in Canada's past three games. He struggled in Canada's 3-2 defeat of Switzerland. A matchup that featured his linemate, Philipp Kurashev who was skating for the Swiss team.

Bedard had the second-least amount of ice time among Canada's forwards at 10:14 and registered no shots on goal. Connor has seen his ice time decrease over the past three games too. He was on the ice for 16:00 when he scored a goal against Austria on May 18th. It then decreased to 14:30 against Norway and then 13:19 against Finland.

Is it cause for concern?

Honestly, it is probably just a sign that Bedard is running out of gas after playing in his first full NHL season. He did miss six weeks with a jaw injury, but he still played in 68 games and averaged 19:47 in ice time. Plus, his 2023 summer was a whirlwind after he was the No. 1 overall pick, and the hopes and dreams of this franchise (and the NHL) were placed on his shoulders.

The Hawks season wrapped up on April 18th and then he was back on the ice for Team Canada just a few weeks later. It would have been nice for him to get some more time off to sort of unwind.

Really, this should not be a huge cause for concern. It is an international tournament that he is taking seriously since he is representing his country. In the grand scheme of things, this is an exhibition where only pride for one's country is on the line.

Plus, Bedard's five goals in the tournament are still tied for second-best. Kurashev did not register a point for the Swiss when they faced Canada. He has just two assists in this tournament, but that does not mean he is not capable of being a good linemate with Bedard when they skate for the Blackhawks. It just means both need some time off once this tournament is over.