FEATURE: Bedard Exceeds Expectations in Sensational Rookie Year

Davidson has already set the expectation that the team’s overall performance needs to take a step forward next season, and as part of that, more impact players will begin to surround the budding superstar to provide depth to the offensive roster.

And as almost all rookie players do following their first years, Bedard is solely focused on getting better in the offseason, now with first-hand experience of the league’s level of play. What that means for his impact going forward will be dangerous for the rest of the league.

“I thought I learned a lot,” Bedard said at the end of his season. “I think coming into next year, that’s going to be a big help for me. A lot of it’s off-ice. I’ve never obviously been a part of an NHL season. Of course, I was hurt for a little bit, but still played a lot of games in not so many days, so you kind of learn what you need to do and what your routine needs to look like. I think to just know that coming in and have that experience for next year is going to be huge.

“On the ice, what I need to get better at, I think that’s something even going into the summer is great to kind of know and know what the league’s like and how you can succeed and what more I can do to succeed.”

“He’s always trying to be a better version of himself,” veteran Nick Foligno added. “It’s impressive at a young age that he’s got that already dialed in. I give him a ton of credit for the way he’s handled this year and I look forward to him taking a big step next year too.

“That’s what’s exciting is, I still think there’s a lot in Connor that is still raw and can be developed. That’s a pretty scary thought, what he’s been able to accomplish already at 18. The good news is he’s the type of guy that doesn’t get too caught up in anything. Now he’s moving ahead and I’m excited to see a 19-year-old Connor Bedard.”

All-Time Blackhawks Calder Trophy Winners:

• 1936: Mike Karakas
• 1938: Carl Dahlstrom
• 1955: Ed Litzenberger
• 1960: Bill Hay
• 1970: Tony Esposito
• 1983: Steve Larmer
• 1991: Ed Belfour
• 2008: Patrick Kane
• 2016: Artemi Panarin