Expectations Rise for Blackhawks and Connor Bedard

In his second season in the NHL, the Chicago Blackhawks expect a huge step forward from Connor Bedard.

Apr 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) controls the puck against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Blackhawks received a huge gift when they selected Connor Bedard with the first overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. After a dynastic run in the 2010's, the Blackhawks have languished in obscurity. But then they drafted one of the most promising players to enter the league since Connor McDavid.

Bedar's first season in the league was a great success by all accounts. He overcame a broken jaw that limited his season to just 68 games, and still managed to record 22 goals and 61 points on a team that was last in their division. He rightly earned the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie.

Heading into year two, the expectations are only rising for the next NHL superstar. The first expectation is a jump in scoring. The team made a bevy of moves to insulate Bedard, bringing in veteran wingers Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi and defenders Alec Martinez and T.J. Brodie. The team is not ready to contend in the postseason yet, but they should be vastly improved as a team and Bedard should benefit from this.

With Teravainen and Bertuzzi in the fold and Taylor Hall hopefully returning from injury, Bedard should see his linemates' play improve. In 2023, Bedard spent a majority of his season playing with Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev. Bedard elevated their games immensely, with Foligno scoring 17 goals and Kurashev setting career highs in every offensive category. Swapping Foligno or Kurashev for one of these new forwards could be a huge key to unlocking even more scoring for Bedard.

Which means the Blackhawks should expect a 30-goal and 80-point season from their best player. If healthy, that should be no problem for the 19-year-old. Bertuzzi, Teravainen, or Hall are all better finishers than either of Bedard's linemates last season, which should only help increase his number of assists in 2024.

It also should allow Bedard more space to dominate. With more weapons on the ice with him, the opposing team will have to respect that and give Bedard more chances to shoot and carry the puck to the net.

The other huge expectation for Bedard is to help this team win more. When they drafted Bedard in 2023, the hope was that he would lead the team back to Stanley Cup contention. He can't do it single-handedly, but he does have the skill to carry this team to more than the 23 wins they posted last season. Pushing for a playoff spot in year two would be a huge jump, but 35-40 wins would mean that Bedard's impact is elevating the team per expectations.

The pressure of being a top selection in the NHL is immense. Bedard knows that his success will be measured by how far the Blackhawks can move up in the standings over the next few years. His individual success will only increase over the next few years, but the biggest question will be whether the team can meet Bedard at his level to help turn this organization around.

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