Connor Bedard’s game : in-depth breakdown

The young Vancouver-born prodigy needs no introduction. After rewriting the record books everywhere he went, whether in the WHL or with Team Canada, Bedard is ready to go on to establish himself as one of the biggest headliners the NHL has had this millennium.  Recognized for his trademark shot and his flair for dramatic moments, the Regina Pats player is simply above his competition in many ways. It’s hard to do justice to such a talent with words, but here’s my best attempt to try to describe what makes Bedard such a special player.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably know Bedard’s shot is his best weapon. We are not just talking about an elite shot, but rather a revolutionary shot. At the moment he’ll steps on an NHL ice, only a handful of players could hope to match the quality of his wrist shot. He shoots hard and puts everything he got behind his shot, at every one of them. He doesn’t just put pucks on the net, he shoots with the intention of scoring at every opportunity. He can literally change the outcome of a game in the blink of an eye.

To explain how special Bedard’s shot is, it’s impossible to blame him for poor shot selection, because ALL of his shots are dangerous and a good option. Not only is the quickness with which the puck leaves his stick mind-boggling, but his precision is equally absurd. Sometimes he’ll skate by the right side of the ice and if he can’t beat the defenseman with speed, he can fire a shot from the corner/goal line. Believe it or not, coming from Bedard, it’s a dangerous shot, he only needs that the goalkeeper has dropped a knee on the ice and he will put the puck over his shoulder. He can place the puck wherever he wants, regardless of how his body is positioned.

One of the things that makes his shooting so elite is how he manages to change his angles. It is recognized as a subtlety mastered by the best shooters on the planet, the first example that comes to mind is Auston Matthews with his famous little ‘Toe Drag’ before shooting. What is curious in the case of Bedard is that he covers a lateral distance with the puck on the ice before shooting that I have never seen before. And we’re talking about a 5’10 player. Even though he uses a relatively long stick for his size, he still doesn’t have the reach of a 6’3 guy like Matthews. His puck handling is also elite and this allows him to place the puck where he wants before firing his shots. In conjunction with this ability, Bedard has this phenomenal ability to use defensemen as a screen. Those who have read me for a while know that I am not someone who easily falls into the use of hyperbole, but I sincerely believe that there is no player on the entire planet currently who is as good as Bedard to shoot under the stick of the defenders who seek to poke check him or deflect his shot. It must be a terrifying sight for them, they know what’s coming, but they just can’t stop it.

Something that isn’t often mentioned enough is how Bedard’s backhand shot is in its own right just as elite as his wrist shot. Sidney Crosby’s has more velocity than anyone else’s, Patrick Kane is a magician and he can get the puck over the goalie’s shoulder better than anyone, but I haven’t seen a player be able to beat goalies from as far away as Bedard. His goal against Russia U18s in the final in 2021 still gives me chills just thinking about it!

What about Bedard’s play-making skills? After all, young players are frequently observed constantly relying on their predominant quality at lower level and failing to expand their offensive repertoire because of it. In Bedard’s case, make no mistake, he’s a fantastic playmaker, and he’s developed that side of his game to a level that I didn’t envisioned him reaching at the start of the season.

Since we’ve ended talking about his shooting by mentioning his backhand, it’s only appropriate to start talking about his passing skills by mentioning his propensity to set the table for his teammates from his backhand. Which is arguably his greatest strength in this facet. These are the same aspects that make his backhand passes such a distinct quality as his shooting; the dexterity of his hands, but also the distance and precision with which he will execute such passes in the offensive zone.

Bedard has a remarkable level of creativity and his level of talent allows him to try just about anything he wants on the ice, he can dangle players at will before passing the puck. The fact that he’s still a threat to shoot as well opens up a lot of options for him.

His recognition of openings for a pass is just as fast as his ability to release his shots, he only needs a fraction of a second to make his decision whether to shoot or not.

His playmaking skills are something that have improved this season and for me the biggest difference is in the way Bedard plays East to West in the offensive zone, especially when he enters it. He played a more linear style in the past and that opened up the game less for his teammates.

One aspect that is very important to address in Bedard’s case is his compete-level and his desire to be the best and make a difference on the ice. He is a born competitor and he battles hard every night. He is probably the most marked hockey player on the planet and despite that, he manages very well the fate that his opposition throws at him night after night; he plays with his head held high to protect himself, he remains in control of his emotions, but above all, he does not allow his opponents to imposed shits on him, he retaliates blow for blow and can even end his evening with a few good hits.

You can’t contain his talent, and you can’t match his desire to win. It’s a lethal combination.

I have a small example to share, it may seem trivial, and I could very well have put it when I was talking about his shooting, but for me it perfectly encapsulates what I am trying to illustrate when I say you can’t contain Bedard.

We see him in a 2 on 1 situation, he is in excellent position to take a one-timer. The defender in charge of covering him is slightly behind so since he cannot play Bedard’s body, he neutralizes his stick with his by pinning it against the ice (left in the image).

Bedard only needed a split second to counter his rival’s strategy. He moved his stick away from the defender by bringing it behind him and passing it completely over him afterwards, in a very fluid motion, he finishes with his stick on the ice without having to deal with the one of the defenseman. He was able to take a good shot without being bothered. It’s subtle as a play, but it testifies not only to his shooting skills, but also to the great adaptability of his brain and above all, to his great desire to make a difference. And that cannot be taught. You’re born with it with it and only the great players predestined to excellence have it.

As for his skating, it’s the only thing that wasn’t elite in Bedard’s toolbox (other than his size) before the start of the season and we can now say that all doubts are dispelled. He’s not an elite skate, but he’s still well above average.

He has good acceleration and separation speed. It’s not only useful for him while carrying the puck, but also in smaller spaces, for example, in the offensive zone after having dangled a player, he can explode in a short distance to improve the location from which he will release his shot.

The Regina Pats player is also very agile on the ice. He has great changes of direction. His feet stay in motion and he constantly sells wrong directions to his opponents. What makes him effective in fakes like this is that he puts a lot of weight on one leg to really sell his direction.

On top of that, his balance is top-notch too. You probably won’t be able to take the puck away from him and if you try to push him, his balance is so good that he will still manage to regain a proper body position to execute the play he had in mind. To achieve such results on the ice, Bedard must be very strong muscularly speaking. Even on one leg while being pushed, he maintains his balance. His skating is largely responsible for his puck protection game.

As for his defensive game, Bedard isn’t perfect, but honestly, that doesn’t change anything. It is adequate and, in the circumstances, it is quite sufficient.

He is offense-oriented and you can see it when the opposing team leaves their zone. As a center player he is not going to be low enough and he is going to try to intercept the pass to get back on the attack rather than to backcheck. He will be taken on the wrong foot a few times, but we cannot blame such an offensive talent and such a desire to win for playing like this, especially in the juniors. I have no concerns that he will fix this in the NHL.

Moreover, this same desire to make a difference offensively is also his greatest defensive quality. His positioning will not be perfect, but his commitment is of a very high level. He will dive across the rink with his stick extended to cut passing lanes. When is the last time a junior player averaging more than 2.5 pts per game made this kind of play?

This may lead to one of the only debates surrounding Bedard: will he be a center or a winger in the NHL? Personally, I see him on the wing and it doesn’t affect the impact the player will have on the ice whatsoever. I would give him all the latitude possible to exploit his talent.