Connor Bedard Rapidly Losing His Confidence: Comments at Practice Worrying Fans

Connor Bedard is having a rough start to the season with the Blackhawks, and his comments at practice today really left fans on edge as they worry about him.

Connor Bedard isn't used to this type of slump. Every player has struggled at times, even greats such as Ovechkin, Kane, and Crosby, but with three goals in 20 games, Bedard is on pace for a mere 12 goals over 82 games.

For someone as hyped as Bedard, that's concerning. The expectations were immense. Blackhawks fans debated whether he'd hit 40 goals, assuming 30 was a given.

Now? He might not even match last season's 22 if things don't change. That said, there's reason for optimism. Bedard's shooting percentage sits incredibly low beneath 6% versus 10% last season. Odds are it will head back to the mean.

Plus, he is generating loads of offense, pacing the team in shots and driving play. He is creating chances, drawing defenders, and contributing in ways beyond scoring.

But he has really struggled in the face-off circle, where his 30% win rate has made him untrustworthy as a first-line center. He has been working to improve with Yanic Perreault, but even significant progress might leave him below average.

Long-term, the Hawks can easily move Bedard to the wing, and test him out with some different linemates, where he doesn't have to worry about defense or faceoffs and can just play offense.

Chicago's prospect pool is deep at center with Oliver Moore and Frank Nazar, among others, so moving Bedard to the wing isn't out of the question.

So, how concerned should we be? Well, after his comments following his team's practice, probably quite high.

This has definitely led to major concerns by the fans of the team, who are really hoping he is going to find a way to pull out of this horrific slump.

Improvements are needed, but Bedard is a driven player with time to adapt. And if he ultimately thrives as a winger, that's hardly a bad thing.

Imagine a team where Bedard's linemates handle the faceoffs while feeding him the puck, it's a winning scenario.

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