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Good morning to everyone but especially to...
CONNOR BEDARD AND THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
The NHL is back on center stage in the sports world tonight with the 2023 NHL Draft getting underway. And much like the NBA Draft last week, there's a no-doubt grand prize going No. 1. The Blackhawks will select Connor Bedard with hopes of him pulling the historic franchise out of a half-decade's worth of struggles.
The 17-year-old star's resume suggests he'll be able to do just that. Our Austin Nivison stacked up Bedard's credentials with recent top draft picks, and even the 2023 Hart Trophy winner barely competes:
Nivison: "Connor McDavid was the definition of a generational prospect. He had the size, speed, production and intangibles necessary to succeed at the NHL level, and he has delivered on the goods... The fact that Bedard has the statistics and the accolades to match McDavid only makes him more tantalizing to NHL scouts. ... No matter how you slice it, Bedard is in rare air in terms of his pre-draft resume."The Blackhawks also supported Bedard by adding Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno in a trade with the Bruins. That hasn't been the only big pre-draft movement.
The draft starts tonight at 7 p.m.
