Bedard Missing Piece: Former Coach Reveals the Key to Unlocking Superstardom! Draisaitl

In just his second NHL season, Chicago Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard is posting solid numbers. His nine-game point streak was snapped on Saturday night when the Blackhawks lost to the Edmonton Oilers, but the team’s struggles are not on him. At the same time, some have wondered why Bedard hasn’t taken a huge leap.

On pace for less than last season, the hope was that Bedard would become a point-per-game player, maybe even hint at 90-100 points. He’s unlikely to get there. He’s good and will continue to improve, but what’s holding the generational talent back? One former NHL coach believes that Bedard doesn’t have the superstar linemate many others who did take that giant leap have had.

Bedard Needs His Leon Draisaitl

Rick Bowness examined Bedard’s production and looked across the ice at his opponent on Saturday. Arguing that Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers had Leon Draisaitl, Bowness made the point that Bedard doesn’t have another star to play with.

Before the Hockey Night in Canada telecast Saturday night, Bowness made a good point. Like McDavid once did, he contended that Bedard needs a star-caliber teammate to unlock his potential fully. He and the panel pointed out that Bedard is at a disadvantage because he does not have his own version of Draisaitl. Without it, Bedard may never reach the heights some of the greats did.

Draisaitl’s partnership helped fuel McDavid’s quick rise in the NHL. The two created one of the league’s most successful partnerships, blending McDavid’s speed and playmaking with Draisaitl’s scoring ability and physicality. That Draisaitl is a big-bodied horse of a player with elite skills only helped McDavid grow more quickly into NHL stardom.

His partnership allowed McDavid to focus on his strengths without shouldering the entire offensive load. Because the Oilers were able to play McDavid with another elite talent paid off, and the same approach could benefit Bedard in Chicago.

Bedard’s Elite Skills Need Support. Who Could Be Bedard’s Draisaitl?

Bedard has already demonstrated his exceptional hockey IQ and vision. However, he lacks a high-end teammate who can complement his skill set. The Blackhawks need to find him that star-caliber partner. That begs the question, who could that partner be, and where could the Blackhawks find such a player?

There are only two options. First, the Blackhawks could sign a high-end winger during free agency. Second, they could trade for such a winger.

In exploring the options, let’s err on the side of possible. Playing, “what if?,” two potential wingers could be potential. One is the 28-year-old Finn Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche. Like Draisaitl, Rantanen is a big-bodies winger – even bigger than Draisaitl. He’s 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. He’s a free agent at the end of this season. Thus far in the current season, Rantanen’s scoring touch is evident. He’s played 44 games, scoring 25 goals and adding 35 assists for 60 points. He could perfectly complement Bedard’s playmaking.

A second potential free agent is Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Should contract talks stall in Toronto, or if the Blackhawks offer him significantly more money than $13 million, which is rumored to be the Maple Leafs top offer, he could become a game-changing addition to the Blackhawks roster.

What’s different about Marner is that he’s not physically as large as either Draisaitl or Rantanen. Marner isn’t small at 6-foot and 180 pounds, and he’s been relatively injury-free in his career, but he isn’t the same kind of a physical specimen as the other two players. So far this season, Marner has played 45 games with one fewer point than Rantanen. He’s scored 14 goals and added 45 assists for 59 points.

Could the Blackhawks Trade for Bedard’s Partner?

Should the Blackhawks wish to move more quickly on a partner for Bedard, one player who’s rumored to be potentially moved is J.T. Miller of the Vancouver Canucks. Given the rumor of Miller’s current rift with another Canucks star player Elias Pettersson, it could be that Miller might be on the move.

Two problems with that idea are that, on the face of it, the 31-year-old Miller isn’t the winger for Bedard because he’s a center. But centers do morph into wingers as they age. Miller’s high hockey IQ (he often acts as a second coach on the Canucks bench) would allow him to make that transition relatively easily.

Miller is a strong two-way forward with leadership qualities, which could be acquired via trade to make an immediate impact.

The Path Forward for Chicago

The Blackhawks have cap space and a rebuilding window that would allow them to make bold moves. Acquiring or signing a top-tier player to partner with Bedard could fast-track Chicago’s return to contention. Bedard has already shown flashes of brilliance. However, if Rick Bowness and the Hockey Central panel are correct, having that partner would help push him more quickly toward the projected heights.

He’ll need that complementary star—his own Leon Draisaitl. The question is whether the Blackhawks’ front office would prioritize finding that missing piece by signing a free agency or trading for a partner.

Bedard’s talent is undeniable. However, hockey is a team game. Bringing in the right partner could turn the Bedard and the Blackhawks into the powerhouse they once were when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane roamed the ice together to win Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015.