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Hockey Night in Canada panel believe Connor Bedard could no longer be a centerman for the Blackhawks

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Daniel Lucente
November 17, 2024  (1:33 PM)
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Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks during an NHL game
Photo credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Connor Bedard isn't living up to the hype of a 100-point player that many thought he would be, and a major change of position could be in order for him now.

Last night, the panel on Hockey Night in Canada had a very intriguing discussion regarding whether Connor Bedard should switch positions from center to wing.

The conversation came after the Chicago Blackhawks faced the Vancouver Canucks in a hyped showdown.

"In this league where your line matchups most nights you're going against juggernauts like McDavid and Draisaitl. So he just maybe doesn't have that speed burst quite yet. He seems to be getting outmuscled a little bit. So sometimes when you move guys to the wing, it can protect him a little bit.

But hey, maybe they want them there and they want them going through these drawing panes. And that's where we're at right now."

- HNIC panel


In the case of Bedard, it was a rare homecoming, his first NHL game back in Vancouver. He secured a bunch of tickets for friends and family, but the night did not go as planned: The Blackhawks fell 4-1, and Bedard was held off the scoresheet for the third game running.

It is by no means an easy place to play in the NHL as a center, let alone as a sophomore. Every night, Bedard faces high elites like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon.

It has been known that Bedard has been unhappy this year as the team continues to lose, so perhaps some major roster changes could be in order too.

If trades aren't going to be made, then perhaps it begs some questions if shifting him to the wing may unlock his full skill set while taking some defensive aspects off his shoulders.

Ron MacLean, Elliotte Friedman, Luke Gazdic, and Paul Bissonnette discussed the topic on the post-game panel.

Bissonnette noted that perhaps moving Bedard to the wing could be good for him, but it looks like the Blackhawks are all-in on developing him as a centerman in their lineup. He said that maybe Chicago is thinking long-term instead of quick results.

Centers are some of the most valuable players in hockey, and taking the time to develop a franchise player down the middle takes time.

If Bedard can follow in the footsteps of stars like McDavid and MacKinnon, he has the potential to dominate as one of the league's top centermen.

For now, the Blackhawks appear willing to endure growing pains, knowing the payoff could be immense.

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Hockey Night in Canada panel believe Connor Bedard could no longer be a centerman for the Blackhawks

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