Like a six-year-old kid window-shopping at the toy store a few days before Christmas, National Hockey League general managers — especially those in the bottom half of the league standings — are uncontrollably drooling while watching the Connor Bedard legend grow.
One of those GMs is going to win the draft lottery this summer and unwrap a franchise-changing player who comes along perhaps once every 10 or 15 years. There was Orr, then Gretzky, then Lemieux, Crosby and the current wunderkind, Connor McDavid. Next year, Bedard will be dazzling NHL crowds while wearing the uniform of …. well, we’ll have to wait and see how this lottery unfolds. D-Day (draft day) is June 28 in Nashville.
Six to eight of the worst teams all believe they have a legitimate shot at drafting No. 1, and grabbing Bedard in an “easiest decision” since picking Charles Barkley No. 1 in a kids’ pickup basketball game. A website called ‘tankathon.com' lists daily odds of getting the top pick and at last look, Chicago Blackhawks are leading at 25.5 per cent, followed by Anaheim, Columbus, Arizona and San Jose, in that order. Decreasing odds (7.5 per cent and lower) are in effect for Montreal, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Florida and Detroit.
Vancouver might be the perfect landing spot for the 17-year-old Bedard, a native of North Vancouver who is lighting up the Western Hockey League with Regina Pats. He became a household name across Canada with his spectacular showing in the World Junior championship, which Canada won in an overtime thriller in early January. Bedard picked up 23 points in seven games, nine ahead of his closest rival, Logan Cooley of the U.S. Upon returning to the WHL, Bedard scored nine goals and picked up five assists in his first three games.
Team Canada team-mate Shane Wright, drafted No. 4 by Seattle last year, couldn’t contain his admiration for Bedard’s skills. “I'm running out of things to say about how unbelievable his whole performance was this entire tournament,” Wright told NHL.com. “How mature he's been, how much of a good teammate he’s been to every single guy.”
One NHL franchise is definitely going to be able to build a winning team around Bedard, who is not physically imposing but incredible at puck-control, on-ice vision and shooting speed and accuracy. Bedard leads all WHLers in shots on goal and on Jan. 15, he was 27 ahead of his closest rival, who had played seven more games.
As lower-level teams in the NHL continue to drool, pray and lose as often as possible without making their tanking too obvious, Bedard will finish out his three-year junior career with the non-contending Pats. He’s used to being with a non-contender, and his future NHL team will be one, too. But likely not for long with Bedard steering his new team’s fortunes.
- From TheBeaverton.com: “Oilers fan sick of media always talking about the Leafs has tweeted about the Leafs six times today.”
- From Steve Simmons of Sunmedia: “Morgan Rielly is engaged to figure skating star Tessa Virtue. That’s a combination of nice and nicer.”
- Simmons again, with a question: “Connor McDavid is phenomenal. Leon Draisaitl is terrific. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are having all-star-like seasons. So tell me, how is it that the Edmonton Oilers are this average, barely in a playoff spot nearing the halfway point of the regular season?”
- Comedy writer Torben Rolfsen of Vancouver: "Switching over from the end of the World Juniors to the NHL games Thursday night...it was like watching the Moon Landing followed by a documentary on plumbing."
- Another one from Rolfsen: “The Raptors’ Pascal Siakam is sixth in the Eastern Conference frontcourt after the first NBA All-Star fan voting returns. Despite the GOP trying to prevent Canadians from voting.”
- Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com, after Detroit Lions’ win over Green Bay eliminated the Packers: “The Detroit Lions were eliminated earlier today from the postseason. But Lions have the consolation prize of the gratitude of millions of Americans for their win to keep Aaron Rodgers out of the playoffs.”
- Bob Molinaro of pilot online.com (Hampton, Va.): “The Miami Heat set an NBA team record by making all 40 of its free throws. That must have made an exciting highlights package.”
- Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg: "Video shows former NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr. refusing to wear a seatbelt and pants that caused his plane to have to be evacuated. Beckham was escorted off by police. Beckham was a hot free agent, but now teams are hiding the 10-foot poles with which they won't touch him.”
- Kaseberg again: “Less than a week after team trainers saved the life of Damar Hamlin, the Packers’ Quay Walker was ejected for shoving a Lions trainer aiding an injured player. It was the stupidest thing I have ever seen in the NFL and I saw the Chargers draft Ryan Leaf second overall.”
- Headline at fark.com: “NFL QBs ranked in order of competence. Jets’ fans can skip to the end.”
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