The lone worry about Connor Bedard's return to action

Connor Bedard has been out of the lineup since December 12 after a freak accident with St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn during a face-off in the final seconds. Following a shoulder injury, Bedard has been on IR to properly heal and get ready to come back when the time is right. Since then, the Blackhawks had been snake-bitten, unable to buy goals while they changed their playstyle. Finally, the team has embraced a new style of play without Bedard, posting a 5-1-1 record since the holiday break. This begs the question: If the Blackhawks took around ten games to establish their new system, how long will it take for the team to adopt another new mindset?

Changing playstyles isn't easy

As much as Bedard adds to the roster, it is important to remember that the team is quite young, with many rookies. It is not easy to change how you play on the fly like the Blackhawks teams of old. It could take time for the team to get used to playing with Bedard again due to the system in place. Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis are expected to remain together with Teuvo Teravainen; that line has been great. However, the top line will have some adjustments.

When Bedard is in the lineup, the team tends to focus more on finding the perfect shot rather than just getting traffic up front and shooting the puck, then crashing the net for a rebound. I have been calling for the "shoot and crash" style on offense for at least three years now, and the team is finally doing it consistently with great results. With Bedard back, could the system subconsciously change again? We will see.

Don't get me wrong, Bedard's return will be a huge positive for the Blackhawks as they try to extend their winning streak to five games this Friday against the Washington Capitals. My only concern is whether they revert to their old ways, and Bedard's return subconsciously pushes them back because of the return of their superstar.

It is highly likely that the team doesn't change its style at all, and Bedard thrives in the current system that helps the entire team succeed. However, it is important to bring up a potential situation where the team has to re-learn how to play with Bedard, and another stretch of five or so games yields questionable results.