Chicago Blackhawks young superstar Connor Bedard has been in the eye of the storm in the NHL during the most recent outings for the Hawks. After an embarrassing 5-1 defeat to the Florida Panthers, several analysts criticized the 19-year-old, calling for him to step up his game—particularly his physical presence. Although Chicago lost two of its last three games, the team showed much better efforts, and Anders Sorensen revealed that he has been challenging Bedard during these recent matchups.
After the catastrophic meeting with the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Blackhawks have stepped up their game. The Hawks now carry a three-game point streak, though two of those games ended in losses. Bedard answered back at his critics by doing what he does best: scoring.
The superstar in the Windy City has been asked to be the savior of a franchise desperate for a miracle in a dismal campaign. Chicago is going through tough times, but blaming the 2023 NHL Draft’s first overall pick isn’t in their best interest.
While that’s true, Sorensen believes Bedard must face bigger challenges night in and night out, as he revealed he has been putting the teenager up for a test by matching up his line against the Blackhawks’ opponents best line. Sorensen tried this out during the games against the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators, facing Bedard up against fellow centermen Connor McDavid and Steven Stamkos, respectively.
“We challenged Connor, and he wanted the challenge — he wanted to play against those guys,” Sorensen stated, per Ben Pope of Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s part of the learning curve. When you’re the #1 center, you have to play against other teams’ #1 centers. It was great.”
Experiment’s result
Bedard passed the test as he was matched up against all-time greats and current superstars on the ice. During Chicago’s 4-3 overtime loss to Edmonton, Bedard registered an assist, while McDavid was held scoreless when Bedard was on the ice with him.
However, the Oilers star had the primaty assist in the overtime game-winner by Zach Hyman, though Bedard was off the ice as the Hawks tried to kill a penalty. Against Nashville, Bedard registered two points (one goal and one assist), while also keeping Stamkos off the scoresheet all game long.
Sorensen’s experiment with Bedard paid off and has shown very promising results for the future. However, as it’s been the main topic all season, the Blackhawks must figure out the supporting cast around their generational talent.