The Worst Case Scenario for Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks Could Happen

While projections don't have Connor Bedard's ceiling in the NHL comparable to forward Nail Yakupov thankfully, sometimes we need a sober re-evaluation of players.

That player today is Connor Bedard who was drafted 1st overall during the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville. He'd score 61 points his first-season in the NHL and would win the Calder Trophy as the rookie MVP in the league.

If we compare him to Yakupov who had a career shooting percentage of 9.5% with 136 points and 62 points split between the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and St. Louis Blues.

Bedard could eclipse those totals within his first three seasons in the league. In 139 games played he's already scored 117 points, with 42 goals.

While he could be considered a top pick who has produced below expectations he's not bottomed out like Alexis Lafrenière, or Juraj Slafkovsky who have failed to live up to the sticker price.

Both have failed to become key pieces in the Rangers and Canadiens lineup, while Bedard has done his best to put the Blackhawks on his back every night.

Honestly, the expectation for Bedard and Macklin Celebrini to become the game-breakers that Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are now is unrealistic.

They're only at the beginning of their careers, and Nathan MacKinnon complimented Bedard on his production at the start of his career in 2023.

Something we haven't seen him to do for either Lafreniere or Slafkovsky.

So, while he isn't ready to be a 100+ point player like we've seen him produce in the WHL how should we adjust our expectations?

Fans shouldn't be spoken down to like they're children, but their feelings shouldn't be dismissed either.

Of course, neither Bedard nor Celebrini have helped their teams become the competitive powerhouses we'd like, and their supporting casts haven't been much better.

The worst-case scenario for Bedard is that he ends up as a winger who produces 65-75 points a year and earns the Captaincy down the road.

While this isn't the ideal outcome for fans who want a generational talent like Connor McDavid, keep in mind the Vegas Golden Knights have won a Stanley Cup with a deep lineup and Jack Eichel as a top-winger in the NHL.

If it turns out he may not be the modern Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid, GM Kyle Davidson can still build a winning team around him.

A fringe top-six winger can still help the Blackhawks contend down the road.

So it might take a little bit of adjustment to realize, Bedard might have reached his ceiling.

However, we're only in year two, and it took Nathan MacKinnon four years from the start of his NHL career till he hit his first 99-point season.