No rookie has passed Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard in scoring since he was injured early this month.
He was placed on the injured list, along with forward Nick Foligno, who suffered a fractured finger during a later fight with Smith.
How has the Bedard injury timeline affected him and the NHL rookie race:
Connor Bedard will miss the NHL All-Star Game
Bedard, 18, the top pick in the 2023 NHL draft, was named as the Blackhawks’ All-Star representative the day before his injury. He would have been the youngest All-Star in NHL history. The All-Star weekend in Toronto is Feb. 1-3, and the injury timeline would have him out until late February or early March. The NHL announced on Jan. 22 that the Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor and New York Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck will replace Bedard and injured Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel.
How does the Connor Bedard injury affect the rookie race?
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, like Bedard a generational prospect and No. 1 overall pick, was limited to 45 games as a rookie in 2015-16 because of a broken clavicle and finished third in the Calder Trophy voting behind Artemi Panarin and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Bedard still leads rookies in the scoring race with 15 goals and 33 points. He already has missed seven games. The 6-8 week timeframe means he would miss 17 to 24 games. Assuming he misses the full 24 games and is healthy the rest of the season, he’d end up playing 58 games.
Here are some players who could pass Bedard in the rookie race:
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild: The defenseman is averaging nearly 25 minutes a game, kills penalties, blocks shots and has 27 points in 46 games. He has 24 assists to Bedard’s 18. He will continue to get key minutes with Jared Spurgeon out for the season.
Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild: The forward is two goals and six points behind Bedard. He has 15 points in his last 25 games while playing in a top six role.
Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils: The defenseman is averaging more than 20 minutes a game as the Devils deal with an injury to Dougie Hamilton. He’s nine points behind Bedard and plays on the league’s No. 5 ranked power play. Like Bedard, he has had some highlight-reel plays.
Adam Fantilli, Columbus Blue Jackets: The 2023 No. 3 overall draft pick filled in as Columbus’ top center in the absence of captain Boone Jenner and had 13 points in 14 games in December. Fantilli remains in a top six role after Jenner’s return and has shown himself to be an elite rookie.
Where does Connor Bedard stand in his recovery?
He took to the ice after a Jan. 15 practice, wearing a face shield and a no-contact jersey.
‘He’s been begging,’ Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson told reporters then. ‘I think they said it was OK, but he’s been getting specific instructions. He’s not allowed to take slapshots, so he’s not allowed to really clench (his jaw) right now.’
Bedard continues to go on the ice after the practice, but the timeline hasn’t changed, Richardson told reporters this week.
‘He’s no-contact,’ he said. ‘He’s still not where he’s supposed to be to take hard slapshots. … He can’t be maxing out on weights and really stressing the facial muscles.’