{"id":447190,"date":"2024-08-06T08:45:23","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T12:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=447190"},"modified":"2024-08-05T19:18:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T23:18:47","slug":"what-expect-from-this-chicago-blackhawks-forward-year-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/08\/06\/what-expect-from-this-chicago-blackhawks-forward-year-two\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Expect From This Chicago Blackhawks Forward in Year Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

2024 Calder Trophy winner <\/span>Connor Bedard<\/span><\/a> is looking to build off a strong rookie campaign in the 2024-2025 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks selected Connor Bedard first overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft with very high expectations. As an 18-year-old, Bedard flashed his superstar potential on a bottom-feeding Blackhawks squad. Now, entering his age 19 season, many fans and analysts alike are hoping he will take the jump to stardom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building Off His Rookie Season<\/span><\/h2>\n

Connor Bedard<\/span><\/a> was the clear <\/span>Calder Trophy winner<\/span><\/a> following his stellar rookie campaign. He recorded 61 points in 68 games with Chicago. Bedard also tied the record for most points in a <\/span>game<\/span> by an 18-year-old with five. Bedard was even named to the <\/span>NHL All-Star<\/span><\/a> game before an <\/span>injury<\/span><\/a> sidelined him. <\/span>Safe<\/span> to say that even with a bad team around him, Bedard proved to be the real deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now in<\/span> 2024-2025, the target will be much different for Bedard and the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are turning a corner following their long rebuild, with Bedard leading <\/span>the way<\/span>. Bedard will now have the expectations <\/span>that have been<\/span> placed on the shoulders of players like <\/span>Connor McDavid<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Auston Matthews<\/span><\/a>. This means Bedard will be expected to produce somewhere in the 80-90 point range this season. He certainly has the skill to do it, the only question will be can the Blackhawks roster help him out?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blackhawks New Lineup<\/h3>\n

The Blackhawks added some new faces to their lineup for this season. Their big additions being forwards Teuvo Ter\u00e4v\u00e4inen<\/a> and Tyler Bertuzzi<\/a> on multi-year deals. These additions the Hawks made coupled with returning players like Philipp Kurashev<\/a> and Jason Dickinson<\/a> should aid in Bedard’s development. It was clear that Bedard was held back in many ways by a weak lineup last season, that shouldn’t be a concern this season.<\/p>\n

Now with Bedard hopefully getting some help from his teammates, a lot of pressure can be lifted off his shoulders. The Hawks made moves for Taylor Hall<\/a> and Ryan Donato<\/a> last offseason to play along side Bedard. These moves didn’t work out quite as planned and Bedard was left on a bit of an island. With a new and improved lineup, Bedard will have the pieces around him to continue to elevate his play.<\/p>\n

Is It Time for Connor Bedard to Wear the \u201cC\u201d?<\/h3>\n

Since being drafted, the rumour has been that Connor Bedard<\/a> would someday be named the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. Many fans thought the Hawks would immediately made Bedard captain last offseason, but the team opted to wait. Now that Bedard has a season under his belt, you could argue it’s time for him to wear the “C”. With his overall talent and composure on the ice, Bedard filling in the vacant role could be for the best. General manager Kyle Davidson has stated that he wanted to allow the season to “decompress and then have that conversation in the summer months”.<\/p>\n