Connor Bedard showed in the world junior championship why he has been touted for years as the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft.
He won tournament MVP by scoring 23 points in seven games as Canada repeated as gold medal winners.
In his first game back with the Regina (Saskatchewan) Pats, the 5-10, 185-pound center scored four goals and two assists in a 6-2 win against the Calgary Hitmen.
That gives Bedard, 17, who entered the Western Hockey League draft early as a 15-year-old, a league-best 70 points in 29 games. He has a 28-game point streak since being shut out in the opener. Last year, he had 100 points in 62 games.
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With the draft lottery winner able to move up only 10 spots this year, the bottom 11 teams have a chance to land the generational talent. Here’s a look at the teams with the best chances, starting with the last-place team (stats as of Jan. 10; this file will be updated at various points during the season).
The Blackhawks have a two-game winning streak, including a 2-0 win on Jan. 6 against the Arizona Coyotes, another team in the Bedard watch. It was just their fourth win since Nov. 12 (4-20-1), what was expected after they traded Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach at the 2022 draft and didn’t qualify Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Star Patrick Kane missed both wins with a lower-body injury. If the Blackhawks choose to continue their rebuild, they have plenty of unrestricted free agents who could be moved at the deadline, ranging from Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou to franchise players Kane and Jonathan Toews (they would have to waive their no-movement clauses).
All-Star Johnny Gaudreau, the top free agent signee last summer, played a season-low 14:35 in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. “There’s better in him, you know what I mean?” coach Brad Larsen said, according to the Columbus Dispatch. “He’s wearing an ‘A.’ He’s a leader.” The team has 10 players out, including defenseman Zach Werenski and Jakub Voracek. Patrik Laine (currently playing) has been sidelined twice by injury and once by COVID protocol. The goaltending has struggled at times. The Blue Jackets have lost 11 of their last 13 games, though one of those wins against the Blackhawks. Bedard would answer the question of who plays between Gaudreau and Laine.
Their minus-73 goal differential is worst in the league. They didn’t get their first regulation win until Nov. 23 and it took them until Dec. 15-17 to get two in a row. Though they had another two-game winning streak in early January, it ended with a 7-1 loss to the Bruins. General manager Pat Verbeek dealt pending UFAs Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell last season. This year’s UFA list includes John Klingberg and three other defensemen.
The rebuilding team has been hurt by a road-heavy start of the season (26 out of 40 games), and their road losing streak has hit 12 games. But they also have lost their last four games at Mullett Arena and six in a row overall. A decision has to be made on defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who had expressed interest in a trade. Bedard would be a good draw if voters approve a new arena in Tempe during a May special election.
Erik Karlsson leads all defensemen with 55 points in a resurgent Norris Trophy-caliber season that also earned him an All-Star Game berth. But the Sharks have only four home wins. First-year general manager Mike Grier could choose to continue to remake this team, as he did with an offseason trade of Brent Burns. Plus, he has a decision to make on pending restricted free agent Timo Meier, their leading goal scorer.
The Canadiens had the first pick last season and showed some strong play early in the first full season under coach Martin St. Louis. But they have begun free-falling (2-10-1) Brendan Gallagher will miss at least six weeks with a lower-body injury. The team also holds the first-round pick of the Florida Panthers, who currently sit in the bottom 11.
The Canucks overcome a season-opening 0-5-2 start to top .500 on Dec. 27. But they have lost five out of six since. Pending UFA Bo Horvat is the team’s top goal scorer. No. 1 goalie Thatcher Demko is hurt and wasn’t playing well before the injury.
Coach John Tortorella has the team playing better than last season, though that hasn’t always translated to wins. The Flyers had a 10-game winless streak following a 7-3-2 start. They’re on an upswing, winning five of their last six. Goalie Carter is back from injury, but Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson and Ryan Ellis are on injured reserve.
Ottawa Senators (18-19-3, 39): The Senators, who made major moves in the offseason, seem to be gelling after a slow start. Josh Norris is out long-term with a shoulder injury.
Detroit Red Wings (17-15-7, 41): They got a 7-5 win against the Winnipeg Jets but it was the ninth time in their last 11 games that they have given up at least four goals in a game.
Panthers (19-19-4, 42): They gave up their first-rounder last season for rental defenseman Ben Chiarot.
