Connor Bedard unleashes anger and smashes stick following altercation with defensemen Seth Jones
If there's any indication hockey is back, Connor Bedard was frustrated during practice today.
The Blackhawks have started training camp and competition will be fierce, as new defensemen and forwards trickle in. There will be battles every day for every inch on ice, which Bedard should know by now, he's in the big leagues.
But during the drill, Bedard got blown up by Alternate Captain Seth Jones, which caused Bedard to angrily bang his stick on the boards.
That is the kind of fire Bedard needs every night when it comes to the game of hockey if he is to survive, the brutality that players like Brendan Smith offer, since of course he's not an offensive-defenseman.
Bedard is coming into his sophomore year in the NHL, and has a burden of expectations not many NHLers have.
Of course, there's always a chance that Bedard will get checked into the boards and the worst parts of the ice.
But after last November, you'd think he'd know better but it seems it will take some time for him to learn his lesson.
He will obviously need to consider bulking up and concentrating on his skating to learn how to separate better from defenders.
We'll never deny his amazing offensive skills, it's what sets him apart from his own rookie class.
But he needs to work on his two-way game and figure out how to improve his ferocity.
Take a cue from Auston Matthews in 2022-2023, where he worked exclusively on his defensive play, and would even veer into a more physical style of play. Matthews didn't have the highest production that season, but his defensive play and physical prowess improved markedly and helped keep the Leafs in games they had no business being in.
Bedard is the 1C of the Blackhawks now and will need to start acting like it.
| POLL | ||
Where could Bedard improve? | ||
| Defensively | 85 | 52.8 % |
| Physically | 76 | 47.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
