Connor Bedard has reached the 100 game mark in the NHL and for the most part, has impressed and lived up to the expectation that comes with being picked first overall.
Bedard didn’t score in his 100th game, but the Chicago Blackhawks got the win and the 19-year-old reached the milestone with 29 goals and 87 points.
There are 13 other forwards who are currently in the NHL that were selected number one overall and Bedard stacks up well in comparison to all of these very well known stars.
Bedard ranks sixth in points through 100 career games among the group that includes:
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Sidney Crosby – 132
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Alex Ovechkin – 128
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Connor McDavid – 108
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Patrick Kane – 96
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Auston Matthews – 90
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Connor Bedard – 87
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Nathan MacKinnon – 79
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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – 74
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Taylor Hall – 72
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Steven Stamkos – 70
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John Tavares – 66
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Nico Hischier – 65
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Jack Hughes – 42
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Alexis Lafreniere – 34
Not all of the forwards taken number one overall are seen as generational talents or have the same expectations as the past picks. Some just don’t start their careers as a superstar and it takes some time getting comfortable in the NHL, finding the right players to play alongside, and development before they take off.
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MacKinnon and Hughes are legitimate superstars in the league right now and they both started off worse than Bedard. Stamkos and Tavares have been elite players in the NHL their entire career and neither stood out in their first 100 games.
It’s only a matter of time before the goals start to really come for Bedard. His shot is very good and with strength and conditioning at the NHL level, it will only improve significantly over time. He had a 10.7 shooting % last season as an 18-year-old and it has dropped to 8.9% this season.
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Once more shots start going in, he will shoot more like the other experienced elite shooters in the NHL. This will lead to more goals and add to his already very good and underrated passing ability.
Bedard isn’t the only one who is going to keep improving. The Blackhawks are young and have a lot of other talented young players who are on their way too. With better players around him, Chicago is going to score more and Bedard is naturally going to be a part of that increased success.
It is interesting to look back on some of the previous number one overall picks and compare them to Bedard as many of the formerly highly touted draft picks had the same pressure and succeeded through it before him.
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