NHL Insider Weighs In On Bedard-To-Wing Debate
Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Make no mistake: Connor Bedard is fighting it right now. After a slow (for him) start out of the gate, he’s now officially in a genuine, prolonged slump. He’s gone scoreless in nine games, his longest career goalless streak, and has points in just two of those seven contests. Even worse, his last four games have seen him only get five shots on goal.
Now the Chicago Blackhawks fanbase is in full “How To Fix Bedard” mode, and the national media is weighing in, as well. One theory floating out there is shifting him from center to the wing, as was discussed on Sportsnet on Sunday, with Paul Bissonnette championing the move.
The HNIC panel discuss the potential of shifting Connor Bedard to the wing position. pic.twitter.com/OTNMHxo5gH
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 17, 2024
There’s no doubt that Bedard’s face-off percentage has regressed from last season, going from 38.9% last season to an abysmal 29.3% this year. Perhaps he’d have a better time scoring without the defensive responsibilities that come with playing down the middle, as well. But as Elliotte Friedman elaborated on Monday’s episode of his 32 Thoughts Podcast, Chicago simply doesn’t have the options to move him from the middle as of yet.
“You could always move him to wing if you wanted to,” Friedman says. “But they don’t have enough centers. If you look at them, they have Bedard at center, they’ve had Nick Foligno at center, they had Jason Dickinson at center, and they had Lukas Reichel at center, but it’s not enough. They’ve tried Philipp Kurashev at center this year… Andreas Athanasiou, who’s in Rockford right now, they’ve tried him at center…
“I understand [the argument], but I don’t know if [Bedard’s] going to get any better, or if the Blackhawks are going to be any better served by putting him on the wing. Their roster is too thin.”
It’s a valid point from Friedman, as shifting from center to the wing isn’t a cure-all. Bedard would still need a competent center who could handle top-line match-ups, and it’s hard to argue that they have a better option ready to step in at center. Maybe that’s the ultimate destination for Bedard — and anyone who remembers Patrick Kane knows that Bedard could easily drive a line as a winger — but his biggest need is to find a linemate that can take pressure off him, not a position change.
Friedman echoed that sentiment. “I think the kid really cares, and he really tries, and he really competes, he wants to win. I don’t think you can put [the weight of the franchise] all on him. They’re just a long way away and a lot of their offense is on him. If he doesn’t go, how much do they go?”
Whatever that solution is, whether it’s in-house, at Rockford, or currently on another team, Chicago needs to figure it out.
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