It’s not unfair to presume that Connor Bedard is the next generational talent.
After some improvements in the off-season, Bedard is off to a slow start to begin the 2024-25 season. Thankfully, the 19-year-old Vancouver native got off the schneid on Wednesday evening, scoring his fourth goal of the season to end a 12-game scoreless drought.
So far this season, Bedard has four goals and 16 points in 22 games. Over an 82-game span, he’s on pace for 15 goals and 59 goals, below his pace from last season.
The right-shot centre was selected first overall in the 2023 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks after scoring 71 goals and 143 points in 57 Western Hockey League games. In his rookie season, Bedard scored 22 goals and 61 points in 68 games with no help on the Blackhawks roster.

Jordan Binnington became the all-time win leader for the Blues

On Wednesday, the St. Louis Blues shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0 to bring their season record to 11-12-1. Netminder Jordan Binnington picked up his 152nd win to surpass Mike Luit’s record that has stood for nearly four decades.
Binnington was selected in the third round of the 2011 draft and broke onto the scene in 2018-19. The Blues were last in the league on Jan. 5, 2019, and called up Binnington a few days prior. With Binnington in net, the Blues had an incredible run (24-5-1 with Binnington net) and won their first Stanley Cup.
With that being said, Binnington’s play hasn’t been that good since the start of the 2019-20 season, as he has a .905 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average. The 2023-24 season was his best since his rookie season, as he had a .913 save percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average.
This season, the 31-year-old has an .898 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average, along with a 7-9-1 record while allowing 50 goals, the most in the league.

Filip Hronek is “out for a while”

According to Daily Faceoff’s Irfaan Gaffar, Vancouver Canucks defenceman Filip Hronek is “going to be out a little while” due to an upper-body injury.
Late in Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hronek was bumped into the boards behind the net in a puck battle. While the impact didn’t look too hard, it was apparent that he was hurt in some capacity.
Losing Hronek for any period of time is a tough blow to the Cnaucks. This season, Hronek has a goal and nine points in 21 games and is coming off a career-high 48 goals last season in his first full year with the Canucks.
The Canucks have been ravaged by injuries this season, as they’ve been without Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko since the first game of the 2024 postseason. Moreover, J.T. Miller took a leave of absence earlier in November for an indefinite amount of time.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.