Nathan MacKinnon Delivers Surprising Message to Blackhawks' Bedard Prior to 3-0 Avalanche win
Photo credit: CBS Sports
The NHL hasn't had a generational talent join the league like Connor Bedard in some time and superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon complimented Bedard, in what many have considered a sophomore slump.
Nathan MacKinnon recognizes the struggles young players have growing up in the NHL. Barely out of their teenage years, and playing on a team that consists of veterans and prospects, players like Bedard have to adjust their mindset and play style sometimes to make it work.
Bedard, despite being NHL-ready isn't a fully developer forward in the NHL this season, but he has taken it upon himself to do better than he did last season.
For himself, in spite of all the detractors like Mark Messier, and Paul Bissonnette.
He recognized his own struggles in Bedard's this year and would make it a point just to show how good Bedard is this year.
"(Bedard's) a 19-year-old kid, and he's close to a point a game," MacKinnon told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "I'd have killed for that when I was 19. I had like 30 points. He's doing great."
MacKinnon would put up disappointing numbers during his sophomore campaign with the Avalanche scoring 14 goals and 38 points in 64 games.
He wouldn't find his dominant streak until he turned 22 and would score 97 points that year.
Nearly five years after his debut in the NHL.
"I was obviously a top player growing up and in junior, so that didn't feel normal to me," MacKinnon said. "It definitely takes some time. I think Connor looks great, honestly. He creates so much. Sometimes, the puck's just not going in for him. It happens."
Bedard's never had a better ally than a Stanley Cup-winning forward like MacKinnon who has gone through sophomore struggles like Bedard is now.
He's been studying MacKinnon's game in order to glean knowledge and wisdom from watching a winner in action.
"Obviously, he's one of the top players in the league," Bedard said. "He's just been dominating, especially these last couple years. It means more when someone you're playing against, competing against, says something about you than a media person or someone like that. Obviously, it's nice of him to say that."
Bedard has stated as he grows older in the NHL, he wants to attack down the middle like MacKinnon and become a faster skater.
With how Bedard practices we know this shouldn't be an issue for the 1st overall pick in 2023.
For now, his second season in the NHL has seen him score 52 points (17 goals, 35 assists) in 65 games.
| POLL | ||
MARS 11 | 365 ANSWERS Nathan MacKinnon Delivers Surprising Message to Blackhawks' Bedard Prior to 3-0 Avalanche win Do you think Center Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks will ever reach Nathan MacKinnon potential one day? | ||
| Yes | 223 | 61.1 % |
| No | 142 | 38.9 % |
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