2024-2025 NHL season

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

MacKinnon on Bedard Stagnant Production:

Nathan MacKinnon on Connor Bedard’s stagnant production: ‘I’d have killed for that when I was 19’

MacKinnon serves as a reminder that a major breakthrough doesn’t happen overnight for everybody.

www.nytimes.com

Yeah, I remember thinking, of MacKinnon’s NHL debut, that the step was maybe too big for him and he could end up being a big flop. It saddened me because, I was living in Halifax when he was playing junior there. Damn him and Drouin were the biggest attraction in the LHJMQ in those years, I think I was at every local games for 2 full seasons there. Some of the games are still the most memorable ones I have seen.

 

[EagerBeaver]

MacKinnon is a very strong looking mature player. Bedard looks like a kid playing with pros and I think his size or lack of has been a problem as physical NHL play has stifled his production. The key to his development is growing into his body and developing a strong body like MacKinnon did. MacKinnon is now one of the top players in the league but it took a bit of time for him to develop into that. One concern I have is that Bedard, who strikes me as more of a video game nerd than a weight room junkie, doesn't develop his body and doesn't develop as a player. In which case the Blackhawks will be stuck.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Bedard at 19 is already nearing 1 point per game, as MaKinnon rightfully pointed at. I am not worried for him. At 5’10" Bedard is 185 pounds, he may have to do like Suzuki whom at 5’11" has managed to reach 207 pounds and be one of the ironman in the league.

 

[Womaniser]

Yeah, I remember thinking, of MacKinnon’s NHL debut, that the step was maybe too big for him and he could end up being a big flop. It saddened me because, I was living in Halifax when he was playing junior there. Damn him and Drouin were the biggest attraction in the LHJMQ in those years, I think I was at every local games for 2 full seasons there. Some of the games are still the most memorable ones I have seen.

According to ESPN, MacKinnons is 6'0" and 200 pounds with strenght, speed and agility combined I don't see on any other forward in the league.

 

[EagerBeaver]

According to ESPN, MacKinnons is 6'0" and 200 pounds with strenght, speed and agility combined I don't see on any other forward in the league.

MacKinnon is an obvious physical specimen.

I don't believe Bedard is 185 pounds, those stats may be fudged.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

I don't believe Bedard is 185 pounds, those stats may be fudged

Yeah, sometimes they are. For a long time Laraque was listed at 230 when he admitted that during his last 4 seasons, he never went below 245, even reaching 270 one year!!!
Montreal show Suzuki at 207, not sure about that but, he is strong and solid for a.5’11".

 

[EagerBeaver]

Compare this year's #1 pick Celebrini with Bedard. Celebrini has 20 goals, 28 assists and 48 points in 58 games, while Bedard has 17 goals and 35 assists for 52 points 65 games. Celebrini is producing .83 points a game while Bedard, the 2nd year man, is being outperformed with a mere .80 points per game. While it's not bust territory, it's fair to call Bedard a disappointment. He was overhyped and to date his game is not dominant in the NHL. He is just another good player.

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

While it's not bust territory, it's fair to call Bedard a disappointment.

Not at all

 

[EagerBeaver]

Not at all

Yes it is. He was being compared to McDavid. McDavid was a 100 point player his second season. Bedard is far far away from that. McDavid also completely turned Edmonton around from a sub 12 games under .500 team his rookie year to 20 games over .500 his 2nd year. The winning, the turnaround, the hope, the infusion of youthful energy, it's not happening for the Blackhawks. Instead it is "back to the drawing board" and no playoffs, nor even a remote sniff of playoffs. How can you say that is not disappointing? It's ugly and it's very disappointing. It does happen in all sports that draft picks do not live up to their outlandish hype. I really see Bedard as more of Jack Hughes type #1 pick, who will be a good player in the league for a long time, but he is not going to dominate or be a generational talent like Crosby or Ovechkin or McDavid have been.

 

[gaby]

TONIGHT....SENS--LEAFS...a game to watch.....same time HABS-PANTHERS....what a night....

 

[gaby]

...plus....what about NYR---CBJ.....all on the line....enjoy....

 

[Cap'tain Fantastic]

Le match Sens-Leafs pourrait être un point tournant pour Ottawa.

 

[gaby]

Oui en effet...lol....les SENS font la loi et s'imposent face aux LEAFS 4-2....la meilleure équipe du circuit actuellement...et s'installent confortablement.....à suivre.
Et OVECHKIN n'est plus qu'à 7 buts de WAYNE....will do it.

 

[gaby]

CANADIAN TEAMS.....INTERESTING.....à ce jour......LEAFS---SENS---JETS---OILERS---CANUCKS are all in/playoffs......and FLAMES/HABS knocking on the door....it looks good.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Experts say Hart Trophy is between Hellebuyck and Draisaitl:

NHL insiders debate playoff bubble teams, Stanley Cup finalists, MVP picks

Which team on the fringe is getting in? And which is under the most pressure in the final month? Who wins the Hart Trophy?

www.espn.com

 

[gaby]

HELLEBUYCK all the way....lol.

 

[gaby]

Full and BIG agenda tonight .....COL--SENS......TOR-NYR....FLA---CBJ....and MTL---NYI.......dans l'Ouest....CGY---NJD.....VAN--STL.....what a night!!!!!....GO COL---LEAFS---FLA--HABS.....enjoy.

 

[gaby]

WOW.....DRAISAITL et McDAVID sur la touche....heureusement sont 2ème de leur division et les KINGS les talonnent avec 2 games en main...mais vont faire les playoffs.....meilleure nouvelle pour OVECHKIN à maintenant seulement 8 buts de culbuter GRETZKY.

 

[gaby]

ANOTHER BIG BIG DAY.....VAN---NYR.....MUST WIN FOR BOTH.......CGY---NYI.....SAME HERE.....plus OTT---NJD.....DET----VGK.....and of course HABS---AVS.....what a super SATURDAY......enjoy.

 

[gaby]

Oups.....TORTO fired as coach...not really a surprise....a t-il toujours sa place dans le hockey moderne???.....time will tell.