This week, during BioSteel camp, a clip had surfaced of 2023 1st overall pick Connor Bedard working out side-by-side with 2015 1st overall pick Connor McDavid. The clip had a very present/future vibe to it, and I'm sure that if Bedard becomes the player that we all think he's capable of becoming, eventually there will be a conversation as to who McDavid will pass the torch to as the league's top player. There's a lot of time between now and then, but when that time comes, perhaps Bedard will be the guy.
Regardless of the fact that Bedard has yet to play an NHL game, the expectations are already very high - perhaps higher than is fair to the youngster. At any rate, Bedard met with the media on Tuesday and opened up about how he feels about fans already comparing him to McDavid.
"You never want to be like, 'Oh, I can't do this.' I don't really think that mindset is great. But I'm not him. I'm my own person and my own player. I think he's kind of the pinnacle right now. And you're like, 'This guy is the best, or one of the best, (so) how can I get closer to him? I think that's such a great thing in sport. You're always competing against guys. For me to get to spend some time with him on the ice and just try to compete with him... he's obviously unbelievable. You can barely talk about his stats because they're so ridiculous. But for me, it's just trying to be my own player. Be the best I can be." - Bedard on people comparing him to McDavid
Bedard is coming off of a sensational season with the Regina Pats, putting up 143 points in 57 games and following that up with 20 points in seven playoff games. At the World Juniors, he smashed several records, including putting up an astonishing 23 points in just 7 games.
Bedard's NHL career is set to begin on October 10th against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. How fitting is that? A franchise talent against one of the top franchise talents of all time. There's nothing better. As for when he'll face Connor McDavid and the Oilers, that'll come on December 12th.
