Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson knows he has something special in Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NHL draft.
“He’s been exactly as advertised,” Davidson told ESPN entering Tuesday’s NHL season opener. “He’s everything we thought he would be on the ice in terms of skill, the hockey sense, the highlight reel moves. The only thing he hasn’t done is beat a goalie yet, which I’m sure is eating him up. But it will come.”
The rookie led the Blackhawks through the preseason with five points (one goal, four assists) in four games — though the goal was an empty netter. Bedard was also poke-checked on a shootout attempt by Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury after trying some slick moves.
Bedard, 18, has also turned heads with some crafty plays in practice and preseason games, which has the entire league talking about him and his ability to live up to his pre-draft hype.
He is expected to center the Blackhawks’ top line — flanked by veterans Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato — on Tuesday, when Chicago opens on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and his childhood idol, Sidney Crosby.
Crosby immediately became the Penguins’ best player in his 2005-06 rookie season, leading the team with 102 points in 81 games. Though Davidson was hesitant to make specific predictions for Bedard, he’s expecting a similar transformative impact.
“He’s going to be a big driver of our offense. He’s going to be a big part of our team just walking in,” Davidson said. “As far as stat and goal totals, I really don’t have a feel for that. But he’s going to be a driver of impact for our team right away.”
Bedard has expressed frustration after losses in the preseason, and he didn’t celebrate much after his empty net goal. Davidson said he’s hoping the coaching staff and veteran players will help Bedard adjust to the ebbs and flows of pro hockey.
The Blackhawks brought in several respected veterans including Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry to help usher Bedard’s transition from junior hockey.
Bedard played last season for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, scoring 71 goals and 143 goals in 57 games against his peers in his age group.
“It’s also up to us to temper expectations a little bit. This isn’t junior hockey anymore; there’s going to be a transition phase,” Davidson said. “I think he gets that. He’s not walking in here expecting to put up the same amount of points or goals as junior hockey. But he also holds himself up to a high standard and you also don’t want to take that intensity away from a player because that’s what makes him great.”
The Blackhawks are a team in transition after parting with Stanley Cup stalwarts Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews in the past year. The team has made the playoffs just once since 2017.
When asked where the Blackhawks were in their rebuild, Davidson answered simply: “We’re in Year 2.”
“It’s hard to say where we’re at,” Davidson added. “We got a great victory with [winning] the lottery. That definitely helped. But where we’re at in terms of a stage, it’s a build stage. We’re still early days. We’ve really got only one full season under my belt. [Coach] Luke [Richardson] is in his second season. We’re only starting to see some of our first draft classes break into the NHL. We’ve got a lot of players that are going to be a key part of this that aren’t in pro hockey yet.”
Davidson said he is just hoping for growth, and a commitment to playing a certain style under Richardson. He also reiterated that the team is not directed to tank, and he’d be more than happy with a surprise playoff berth.
“You come to the rink, you better come to win,” Davidson said. “That’s what we all expect. You need to develop a positive culture. But what we’re trying to build here is something sustainable.”
The Blackhawks are also welcoming another key player to their opening day lineup: Lukas Reichel, 21, their 2020 first-round pick.
“We gave him a pretty big summer project: show us that you want to be a centerman, and put in the work both on and off the ice,” Davidson said. “He’s played really responsibly, especially in the defensive zone. He had a great camp.”
Though Reichel is waiver-exempt, Davidson said fans should expect to see him in a prominent NHL role. The German-born forward will begin opening night as the No. 2 center, slotted behind Bedard.
“[Reichel] is beyond the point of needing AHL time,” Davidson said. “He’s going to be with us moving forward here.”