Connor Bedard will never admit it, but he had to predominantly produce offense on his own the past few years.
That was true with the Blackhawks last season, and it was true with his junior team, the Regina Pats, before that. That has been obvious at least to everyone around him; Hawks captain Nick Foligno said as much Tuesday.
But with a more competent (albeit hardly world-class) supporting cast surrounding him on the Hawks this season, Bedard is learning he can give up the puck and trust there’s a good chance he’ll get it back in a better situation.
He doesn’t need to, for example, attack three defenders by himself — an ineffective rookie habit of his — if he can make an easy pass to a teammate in space who has the skill to take advantage of that space.
“Now he’s realizing there’s a lot of good players in this league, too, and we’re here to help,” Foligno said. “We all want to do well. We all want to help him be successful.”
Added coach Luke Richardson: “[He’s doing] a little quicker movement, [such as] on the power plays, and it’s an adjustment. He’s coming from a junior league where he wants to hold on to the puck a little longer.”
That’s one of two significant ways Bedard has already improved in his second NHL season. He’s off to a solid start with one goal, four assists and 14 shots on goal through four games.
He has also improved defensively, which is arguably even more important. That was a major rookie weakness of his, and although he’s no Selke Trophy candidate yet, he looks much more responsible and determined in that area this season.
Even he will admit to that.
“I know my job, in the big scheme of things, is to create and produce,” Bedard said. “But I want to be good all around. Last year, there were a lot of times I was the guy [who was the] reason we were getting scored on. That’s going to happen here and there, but if I can limit that as much as possible, that would help us win games.”
Richardson and Foligno have pounded into his head the knowledge that tighter defense will lead to more possession time for the Hawks, which will in turn lead to more offensive opportunities. That may not be shocking news, but it seems to be making a difference — as does his summer work on using his stick to win more puck battles.
“Last year, I think he felt like if he’s not producing all the time, he’s looking for those opportunities and maybe opening himself up,” Foligno said. “Whereas [Saturday in Edmonton], he just let the game come to him. That’s an exciting thought if he starts to think like that.”
Richardson mentioned one play Saturday in which he lost an offensive-zone faceoff but “skated as hard as I’ve ever seen him skate back” to disrupt the Oilers’ counterattack. That allowed Hawks defensemen Seth Jones and Alec Martinez to force a dump-in and execute a breakout.
“He realizes that [by doing that], he gets the puck back, and he’s also not wasting his energy chasing in the defensive zone for another minute after that,” Richardson said.
On Tuesday against the Flames, Bedard was tenacious again on both the backcheck and forecheck.
So far this season, he touts a 54.8% expected-goals ratio and has outscored opponents 4-0 during five-on-five play. That’s a dramatic contrast to last season, when he posted a 43.2% expected-goals ratio and was outscored 67-37.
“It’s just the mentality,” Bedard said. “[It’s about] really putting your mind to it when you need to. There’s still going to be times where I’m jumping for offensive stuff, and that’s a balance that I’ll figure out and that I’ve been solid with these first couple games.”