![\"Connor](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/d5b98d6\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2364x1576+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F53%2F1c%2Fc3c250d8429e9698bab4cb4dc2ed%2Fbedard-9.jpg\")
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2014 Connor Bedard is frustrated about the Blackhawks\u2019 struggles this season, and he doesn\u2019t try to hide it.<\/p>\n
At no point has that been more evident than Monday after the Hawks\u2019 loss to the Flames, when Bedard admitted it has \u201cbeen a lot of games to lose, and it weighs on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Understandably, Bedard\u2019s primary focus is on himself and the Hawks\u2019 current NHL roster and on what he \u2014 and they collectively \u2014 can do to improve. That\u2019s true for all NHL players on all teams, most of whom pay no attention to their organization\u2019s prospect pool or anything else beyond their purview.<\/p>\n
Bedard, however, is an exception to that rule. Perhaps it\u2019s because he\u2019s the same age (or younger) than many prospects, or perhaps it\u2019s because he knows he\u2019ll be in Chicago for a long time to come \u2014 but regardless of the reason, he does <\/i>also <\/i>pay attention to the Hawks\u2019 prospects and their development.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know what happens, but we have a lot of promising guys \u2014 a lot of higher picks,\u201d Bedard said Thursday. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see the guys make the step into the AHL and succeed, or doing well in juniors or over in Europe. You can see the steps being built. Hopefully guys keep playing well and keep progressing, and eventually they\u2019re up here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson revealed on Sportsnet\u2019s 32 Thoughts podcast last month that he and Bedard talk \u201cquite a bit.\u201d Davidson gives Bedard advance warning about upcoming moves, and Bedard asks Davidson about the mechanics of salary retention and such. Most of all, though, Bedard asks Davidson about the prospects.<\/p>\n
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The teenage star insists he\u2019s not scouring tape, evaluating specific skills or looking at the prospects from a scout\u2019s perspective, although he concedes he could if he wanted to.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s simply interested in how his friends from Vancouver, from the WHL or from Hawks training camps are faring. And, of course, tolerating all this losing becomes slightly easier when one gets frequently reminded how bright the future is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just find it enjoyable to follow stats and see how guys are doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier this season, for example, Bedard was certainly aware of Frank Nazar\u2019s eye-popping numbers in Rockford. Now Nazar has been up in the NHL over a month, and he and Bedard skated on the Hawks\u2019 first line together Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know about him from his success in college, and obviously he came up with us [at the end of] last year and looked great,\u201d Bedard said. \u201cYou could tell right away he would be up pretty quick. He was lighting it up [in the AHL]. It\u2019s fun to see stuff like that. He has been getting better every game.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Connor](\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/migration\/2024\/01\/08\/4JUKCHADIM3N7EICTYU5PUNO3E.jpg?w=1800&resize=1800,1800\")
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There are plenty of other encouraging storylines within the Hawks\u2019 robust prospect pool, too. Arguably the most exciting of all is happening across the globe in Magnitogorsk, Russia, where Roman Kantserov \u2014 a Hawks second-round pick in 2023 \u2014 is quickly becoming one of Russia\u2019s best young players.<\/p>\n
With 23 points in 25 games this season, Kantserov ranks among the top 11 players in the KHL in points per game \u2014 and at age 20, he\u2019s four years younger than anyone else on the leaderboard. He suddenly looks like a potential top-six NHL forward, and the Hawks will be eager to sign him when his KHL contract expires in 2026.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Artyom Levshunov ranks second among AHL defensemen in shots on goal, Nick Lardis ranks second in the OHL in goals, Sam Rinzel has become one of the top defensemen in college hockey, Aidan Thompson is tied for fifth in the NCAA in points per game, Sacha Boisvert leads North Dakota in scoring as a freshman and on and on.<\/p>\n
Nothing is guaranteed, but if a reasonable percentage of their dozens and dozens prospects pan out, the 2024-25 Hawks\u2019 awfulness won\u2019t matter much long-term.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bedard is immensely frustrated by the Hawks’ struggles this season. But unlike most NHL players, he also keeps an eye on the organization’s prospects, and he likes what he sees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chicago-blackhawks","category-nfl","category-san-francisco-49ers"],"yoast_head":"\n