Connor Bedard is lighting up the NHL in his third season, but somehow, the 20-year-old superstar isn’t receiving the level of praise he deserves. Despite carrying the Chicago Blackhawks’ offense on his shoulders, despite producing at an elite rate on a team that hasn’t changed much from last season, and despite sitting among the top scorers in the entire league, one insider believes Bedard still might not make Team Canada’s Olympic roster if the selection were held today.
For a player who has quickly become the face of the Blackhawks and one of the brightest young talents in the NHL, that statement shocked fans. And when you look at the numbers, the situation
in Chicago, and the forward options available to Team Canada, it becomes clear: leaving Connor Bedard off the roster would not only be questionable but also a massive mistake.
Connor Bedard is playing at an elite level, even without elite support
The Chicago Blackhawks might be slightly better than last season thanks to the arrival of Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, and Andre Burakovsky, but make no mistake, this is still a team in transition. And yet, Bedard is thriving.
He is tied for third in NHL scoring with fellow phenom Macklin Celebrini, trailing only Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, arguably the two best players in the world. Bedard’s scoring pace, creativity, shooting ability, and ability to drive offense are among the best across the league.
People often evaluate a player’s performance relative to the talent around him. By that standard, Bedard should be getting more respect. He doesn’t play on a powerhouse team. He doesn’t have an all-star winger feeding him pucks every night. He doesn’t get sheltered minutes. And yet… he keeps producing.
Some critics point to Bedard’s defensive game not being at an elite level, but that’s not what he’s being selected for. Not every Olympic forward needs to be a Selke contender. In fact, many of the players being considered aren’t defensive specialists either. What matters is that Bedard is already one of Canada’s most dangerous offensive weapons, and offense wins medals.
His skill set, even at his age, compares favorably to other smaller, highly skilled players like Mitch Marner, Brayden Point, Seth Jarvis, and Travis Konecny. And based on this season’s performance, Bedard is outproducing many of them.
So why would he not be a lock for Team Canada?
Team politics, coaching preferences, and the “veteran bias” problem
NHL insider Chris Johnston recently made a surprising statement:
“I still think if the roster had to be chosen today… he would not be on the team.”
And that says everything about how complicated Team Canada selections have become.
With John Cooper as head coach and Doug Armstrong as general manager, there’s an unavoidable reality: certain players from the Tampa Bay Lightning and St. Louis Blues organizations are going to get priority. Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Brayden Point, Colton Parayko, Jordan Binnington, Robert Thomas… these names will receive heavy consideration for familiarity and system fit.
But Canada has made this mistake before at the World Juniors, choosing “safer” or “older” players over the most talented ones. And when things go wrong, fans immediately look back and ask the same question:
Why didn’t they take the best players?
The competition for forward spots will be intense. Veterans like Mark Stone, Brad Marchand, Travis Konecny, Sam Bennett, and Seth Jarvis will be pushing to return. Meanwhile, top talents who missed the 4 Nations Faceoff, Mark Scheifele, Nick Suzuki, Tom Wilson, Quinton Byfield, Mathew Barzal, Wyatt Johnston, Celebrini, and Bedard, are all in the mix.
But here’s the thing: Bedard isn’t just another young name in the conversation. He is outscoring many established NHL stars. He is electrifying audiences. He is growing into a leader. And he is doing all of this on a team that isn’t anywhere close to the firepower of the teams most Team Canada candidates play on.
If Bedard keeps this pace heading into the official Olympic roster announcement, the pressure on Hockey Canada will be intense. Leaving him off the team would spark outrage across the country, and rightfully so.
Team Canada’s message needs to be simple: bring the best players.
Because if Connor Bedard doesn’t make the roster, the critics won’t be questioning Bedard… they’ll be questioning Hockey Canada.
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