Star rookie Connor Bedard left the Chicago Blackhawks game against the New Jersey Devils Friday evening. The rookie left the game after taking an open-ice hit from Devil’s defenceman Brendan Smith, which left Connor Bedard injured. Bedard headed to the dressing room after taking the big hit while trying to enter the offensive zone. Chicago’s #1 overall pick did not return to the game, but did leave the ice under his own power. No penalties were assessed on the play, as the hit was clean but hard. Brendan Smith fought Nick Foligno later in the period after the incident.
Connor Bedard heads to the dressing room after taking a big hit from Brendan Smith. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/YqLPT6pFNT
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 6, 2024
Connor Bedard Injured; What this means for the Chicago Blackhawks
As of the time of this writing, it is not known whether Bedard’s injury will keep him out for any significant time. An extended absence from the player would be disastrous for the struggling Blackhawks. Bedard’s standout rookie season serves as one of the only positive takeaways for Chicago in a season where the team struggles mightily. The 18-year-old currently leads all rookies in goals, assists and points. Bedard’s numbers currently sit at 15 goals scored with 18 assists.
Along with leading all rookies in the traditional counting stats, Bedard also leads his team in each category. The second highest scoring player in Chicago has 11 less points than the rookie phenom. The Chicago Blackhawks have very little to play for at this point in the season, sitting last in the NHL standings. Chicago currently owns a record of 11-25-2 and is primarily focused on developing their promising young players. This group of talented youngsters is, of course, led by Bedard. Despite the focus being on Bedard, the Blackhawks do have several other high-end potential prospects currently playing in the lineup, namely Lukas Reichel and Kevin Korchinski. Still, any interruption in the development of Bedard would be disastrous. It is not known currently if Bedard, the Calder trophy front-runner, will miss the next 4-6 weeks with a broken jaw.
Main Photo: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
