Connor Bedard's size could be an issue for some teams, according to a former NHL scout, who believes he could slip
17-year-old phenom Connor Bedard is preparing to take center stage with Team Canada at the 2022 WJC make-up tournament, which begins today. Beyond the tournament, he'll focus on putting together the strongest season possible with the Regina Pats to ensure that he, and not fellow phenom Matvei Michkov, goes first overall next summer.
There are absolutely no doubts about his game from a skill perspective. His size, on the other hand, is a bit of a question mark for a center. Standing at just 5'9, 181 lbs, if he doesn't go through a late growth spurt, Bedard is unlikely to play center in the NHL, which could end up impacting his draft status, according to former NHL scout Grant McCagg during a recent appearance on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro
This is August. There were several guys, like Nolan Patrick, Angelo Esposito or Shane Wright, who were described as consensus picks in August, but didn't get selected first. No recruiter has already made their decision this early in the year. It's mostly something you see on social media.
There has never been a winger measuring 5'9 who was chosen first overall. As talented as he is, Bedard is still very small. With Canada, he always plays on the wing. If he's such a good center, why doesn't he play that position with the national team like Sidney Crosby did? Probably because that's where he's going to play in the NHL!
There has never been a winger measuring 5'9 who was chosen first overall. As talented as he is, Bedard is still very small. With Canada, he always plays on the wing. If he's such a good center, why doesn't he play that position with the national team like Sidney Crosby did? Probably because that's where he's going to play in the NHL!
Now, obviously, we should take anything McCagg says with a grain of salt. Bedard is without question the clear frontrunner to go first overall, with Michkov the likely number two. If one of the other slides, it is likely to be Michkov because of the length of time he'll remain in Russia. That said, I think just about every NHL club would be happy to wait a few years for the next Kirill Kaprizov (or better).
If Bedard can make it to 5'10 or 5'11, there are plenty of centers around the league who come in at that mark. At worst, he'll end up being an elite winger. Personally, I've always believed that drafting for skill is the best strategy. Drafting for position instead of taking the best player available is a practice I'll never understand.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
| POLL | ||
AOUT 9 | 291 ANSWERS Connor Bedard's size could be an issue for some teams, according to a former NHL scout, who believes he could slip Will Connor Bedard slip in the next draft because of his size? | ||
| Yes | 74 | 25.4 % |
| No | 217 | 74.6 % |
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