NEWSLETTER
We’re keeping it 100 here this season with our Blackhawks coverage. You ask for honest coverage and the reality is, the organization has told us they’re looking to the future while competing in the present. And the prize at the end of the tunnel for one lucky team will be superstar prospect Connor Bedard.
In case you were still trying to figure out why teams are trying to win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery as much (or harder) than they’re trying to win games this year, here’s how Bedard has started his season:
Yeah, he’s special. Bedard has rightfully been billed as a generational talent in the conversation with guys like Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane. And yes, he’s averaging 14 shot attempts per game!
So we’re rolling out a regular series we’ve called the Bad 4 Bedard Circle of Trust.
There are currently seven winless teams in the NHL. A couple — Minnesota specifically — have had bad starts to seasons that are supposed to be much better than their early play has indicated. Ottawa and New Jersey have high hopes for this season and they’re in the loser’s bracket right now.
One of those seven teams is not the Chicago Blackhawks by virtue of their 5-2 victory on Saturday night. But the team they faced in that game has replaced another in the Circle of Trust.
Philadelphia was in the mix here previously, but it appears John Tortorella is the right voice for that room. The Flyers are undefeated, outscoring their opponents 8-4 in their two games. The talent was there, but many of us questioned the chemistry in the room. It looks like, at least for now, the Flyers have found something.
And Montreal picked up a shocking first win at the expense of the Toronto Maple Leafs, so they aren’t among the winless right now either.
But San Jose is the only team in the league to have a doughnut in the standings with four games played. And, if Saturday night is any indication, they’re going to be in Struggleville for a while this season. They, like the Blackhawks, are working under a new GM and a new coaching staff but haven’t turned over their roster as much as they have in Chicago.
We’re going to keep an eye on things in Vancouver and Ottawa as the season continues as they might play themselves into our conversation here; they’re both without a point thus far. For now, we welcome the Sharks into the Bad 4 Bedard Circle of Trust.
