The absolute worst-case scenario for Connor Bedard isn’t what you think

If you’ve been following the NHL for a while, you might remember the name Nail Yakupov. Yakupov, a former No. 1 pick, fell way short of expectations with the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche. 

Through 350 NHL games, Yakpuov finished his NHL career with 136 points, 62 goals, and a 9.5 shooting percentage. One of the biggest draft busts ever selected No. 1 overall, many NHL fans will always compare any and all underachieving top draft picks to Yakupov. 

In the 2020s, you can’t argue Connor Bedard has been one of the lesser-productive top picks this decade. So many top picks, like Owen Power, Alexis Lafreniere, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Macklin Celebrini, have yet to reach a status that sees them taking over games. So, Bedard’s lack of improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 shouldn’t be so concerning. 

Sure, the difference between Bedard and the other names listed above, sans Celebrini, is that he was a widely heralded generational talent. But still, he’s no Nail Yakupov, and he’s made that clear despite a less-than-stellar career so far. 

There is a worst-case scenario involving Connor Bedard but it’s not a bad one

For Connor Bedard, the absolute worst-case scenario would keep him above players like Lafreniere and Slafkovsky from a productivity standpoint. He’s putting up better numbers than both of them and while they are on much better teams and in supporting roles as opposed to star player roles, Bedard also has more on his shoulders. 

He’s being asked to lead this Chicago Blackhawks team, and neither Slafkovsky nor Lafreniere will be doing the same. Celebrini will, but as for Owen Power, he’s a solid but unspectacular defenseman at best. Seriously, the only name, and this is in a worst-case scenario, that would outperform Bedard right now, would be Celebrini. 

And while I get that some fans may feel they got the lesser of the two generational talents, it’s also important to know that Celebrini did nothing to help the San Jose Sharks this season. Yeah, he’s got better numbers than Bedard when adjusted to 68 games, but it’s not like he went above and beyond and turned around the Sharks. 

Bedard would also prove, and again, this is in a worst-case setting, that he’s not a center, but a winger. Beyond that, if he were a second-liner clocking in between 16 and 17 points per game, but he finished each season with an average of 65 to 75 points, fans will still look fondly at him and say, “Yeah’s good.”

Connor Bedard may not be the generational talent the NHL universe thought

Sometimes, a player could look like a generational talent and then end up as a solid asset who fell short of expectations. If that’s Connor Bedard, then for Blackhawks fans, it should be whatever. Hey, I’ll take a team full of 65-75-point players and run with them any day. 

Just ask the 2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights how well that worked out for them when their best player, Jack Eichel, put up 66 points in 67 games that year. Vegas proved you don’t need a superstar, generational talent to win championships and if you want further confirmation as of the time of this writing, just ask the Edmonton Oilers how well it’s working out. 

So, Bedard may not be the second coming of Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid. But really, who cares? If he ends up as a fringe first-line winger who puts up between 65 and 75 points a season, it means the Blackhawks have a good hockey player. 

No, not a great player, but one who will simply help his team win games. And if you find enough players like that, you’re going to make deep playoff runs and maybe even win another Stanley Cup.