Who leads the IIHF World Championships in goals scored? That would be the face of the Chicago Blackhawks, Connor Bedard. Bedard has been on a tear to begin the annual international event, and his five goals through three games have him tied atop the leaderboard with Finland's Oliver Kapanen. The 18-year-old has scored in all of Canada's games so far as he scored twice against Great Britain and Denmark and once against Austria.
Although Canada is expected to beat inferior teams, Bedard's individual success is worth keeping an eye on. Bedard's six points are tied with Switzerland's Roman Josi and Slovakia's Martin Pospisil for the tournament lead.
What have Blackhawks fans learned while watching the IIHF Worlds? For starters, we've been reminded that Bedard is nasty and can score at will. He tallied a beauty from the "rockstar zone" against Austria on Tuesday.
Connor Bedard scores from the rockstar zone #MensWorlds
— Four Feathers Podcast (@FourFeathersPod) May 14, 2024
pic.twitter.com/fsSt1YN1Hl
More importantly, we're learning that when Bedard is paired with decent NHL talent, he can make a humongous impact on the ice. In the three games, Bedard has played with Nick Paul, Dylan Guenther, and Michael Bunting — all solid NHL players.
These players are largely considered better than Nick Foligno at this point in his career and could be as good as Philipp Kurashev. In theory, if the Blackhawks add some more NHL talent this offseason, Bedard could further flourish in 2024-25.
This is a sign for Kyle Davidson. This is a PSA for the front office.
SIGN NHL TALENT THIS SUMMER TO HELP BEDARD.
At this pace, it might accelerate the rebuild more quickly than expected.
Kyle Davidson has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't plan to sign players to long-term deals this summer. Frankly, that's fine. But the likes of Jonathan Marchessault, Matt Duchene, Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Chandler Stephenson should be considered as they could still improve the Blackhawks' roster without Davidson having to invest long-term salary cap capital.
This isn't about dollars, it's about term. Understanding that Jake Guentzel and Sam Reinhart won't be in Chicago because they're seeking term, the Blackhawks have plenty of veteran options to add around Bedard. Ideally, Frank Nazar and other youngsters on the roster should take an additional step forward next season, but they'll need more help around their superstar.
At the end of the day, it's simple. Davidson knows the Blackhawks need to show improvement on the ice, and doing so will require additions in free agency. They'll likely bring in players on two- and three-year deals, but that doesn't mean they can't get better. Connor Bedard doesn't need much to be a game-changer, but a little more help will go a long way.
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