NHL News: Connor Bedard reveals main issue to improve ahead of next Blackhawks season

A new NHL season is just around the corner, and with it comes renewed hope for a big year inside the Chicago Blackhawks’ facilities. Connor Bedard, the team’s brightest star, knows that he’ll need to improve in several areas if they hope to achieve better results moving forward.

Being fully prepared for this new stage meant that Bedard had to make some important decisions early on. One of them was choosing not to accept Canada’s invitation to participate in the World Championships after the NHL regular season ended.

During a recent conversation with the media, the Canadian star spoke about his decision, stating that it allowed him more time to prepare and focus on improving key aspects of his game.

‘‘Last year I got home at the start of June, so you feel that [impatience] a little bit later on,’’ Bedard told the Sun-Times. ‘‘Now it’s been since mid-April that we played our last game, so you want to be in that environment again. I think that’s good, though, to be really craving it once the time comes.

‘‘An opportunity like that, it’s hard to say no . . . but it is a pretty long event,’’ he also added. ‘‘I thought for me it would be more beneficial to be home for that month of May to get started and ahead of the curve. I feel good. [Increasing my speed] was my big thing coming into the offseason, and I feel like I’ve definitely increased that. And, obviously, there’s still some time to go here.’’

Increasing speed

Undoubtedly, one of Bedard’s biggest deficits when he first hit the ice was a dip in his skating speed. That’s why the team’s top figure under Jeff Blashill has placed a major focus on this issue heading into the upcoming season.

“A lot of it is in the gym, and then you do stuff on the ice to see how you move most efficiently,” he said. “Summer is the best time to try something and get used to it. The more you can go up [in flex] and feel comfortable, it helps with other things.”

“[In] a lot of skates, there’s a lot of thinking involved, and you’re putting yourself in game situations,” Bedard also added. “When you put yourself in the spots you’ll be [in] more, you get more and more comfortable with it.”

Trust in his teammates

The disappointing season is now in the past, and all the focus is on what lies ahead. A young Blackhawks‘ roster filled with untapped talent is the source of inspiration that gives Bedard confidence in the team’s potential to have a strong campaign.

“I think it makes sense,” he said. “We’re in a spot where a lot of our young guys — Frank [Nazar], myself, Sammy [Rinzel], you go down the list — all feel like we can take a step as a group.

“It gives a lot of guys opportunities to come into camp and earn a spot on the team, have an impact and learn. That being said, we’re not going to . . . not have any expectations. We’re going to try to win every game and be confident in every guy in the room. It’s exciting for us to start that together and grow together over the next however many years.“