The Work Starts Now

As Bill Daly flipped the card to expose the logo of the Chicago Blackhawks having the first-overall pick in this summer's NHL Entry Draft, the cries on social media of the lottery being rigged or favouring one team over another began almost instantly the logo was revealed. Having the Blackhawks - an Original Six team with recent Stanley Cup success - draft arguably the best player available since Connor McDavid seems somewhat unfair, but it also seems like karma missed the bus when it came to punishing the Blackhawks for the crimes they covered up for so long. I'm not here to relive all of that, however, because the reality is that Conor Bedard's name will be the first player's name called at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville on JUne 28. That part is inevitable. He will be a Blackhawk.

Where things need to happen is every pick following Bedard's pick because Chicago's current roster has all the makings of failing a "generational player" much like Edmonton's did with McDavid in his start in the NHL. One could make a case for Anaheim having Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Mason McTavish as having a solid group of younger players where Bedard could mature alongside them. One could argue that Columbus' combination of Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine are the wingers that Bedard could flourish with early in his career. The fact that Chicago won the lottery and will select him, though, means that the Blackhawks have a lot of work to do in icing a team that will give Bedard a shot at a Stanley Cup.

Let's not forget that Connor McDavid is still looking for his first Stanley Cup in his eighth season in the circuit. We can't overlook the fact that Nathan MacKinnon finally won his last season in his ninth season in the NHL. Sidney Crosby needed eleven seasons to finally hoist the Stanley Cup after donning Pittsburgh's colours. Getting Bedard to the Stanley Final in the red-white-and-black of Chicago's NHL team won't be happening any time soon with the likes of Taylor Raddysh, Boris Katchouk, or Jason Dickinson as his wingers.

Each of those players mentioned above has another player who has done a serious chunk of scoring alongside them: McDavid has Draisaitl, MacKinnon has Rantanen, and Crosby has Malkin. For each of the wunderkinds mentioned, there's a second scoring wizard who shows incredible chemistry with the player in question. Chicago doesn't have one of those players in their lineup now, so they're likely going to have to draft him just as the aforementioned teams did.

It should be noted that Malkin was taken second-overall one year before Crosby was drafted, so Pittsburgh really found their stride once they had their future top-two centermen. Rantanen was selected two years after MacKinnon's name was announced, and he went tenth-overall to Colorado. Like Pittsburgh, Edmonton took Leon Draisaitl one year before they selected McDavid, so they had their two superstars down the middle with two incredible draft years.

Chicago seems to be following Colorado's plan as I don't believe any of Frank Nazar, Paul Ludwinski, or Ryan Greene are ready for primetime NHL hockey at this point in their careers. That means we likely will see Chicago struggle through another season next year despite Bedard being on the roster, and there's a legitimate shot that they could be selecting high in the lottery once again if they can't add significant pieces through trades and/or free agency.

For everyone lamenting Bedard going to Chicago, I'm with you. I don't believe the Blackhawks deserved him, and the way they traded talent away this season seemed to be the perfect recipe for a tank job despite them actually winning a few games down the stretch. But just like Edmonton when it came to getting McDavid, drafting him is only the first step in what it a multi-step, multi-year build towards something special. And even then, there's no guarantee that Conor Bedard will ever touch a Stanley Cup as a member of the Blackhawks.

It takes more than one player to win in the NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks are sitting with the opportunity to select one player who can really help them return to respectability on the ice. For as good as Bedard is, though, he's going to need help if the Blackhawks hope to return to Stanley Cup prominence. Like the duo who got them there before, Kane and Toews were dynamite, but they needed help from a number of other key players in their Stanley Cup runs.

Conor Bedard will be a Chicago Blackhawk next season, and they'll certainly make him the centerpiece of everything they do. Just don't expect the Blackhawks to be Stanley Cup contender anytime soon. They're significant pieces away from being a playoff team, let alone a contender, but the road back to that lofty perch will begin with Conor Bedard's name being called on June 28. How fast they get there will be determined by a number of things, but nothing comes easy and everything has to be earned. As we know, earning anything in the NHL comes with hard work.

Bedard may have sped up the Blackhawks' rebuild, but the hard work starts now in finding players who will help Bedard, elevate his game, and push him to the next level. They won't win the Stanley Cup in the next three years, but we should have a good idea as to whether the Blackhawks were willing to sacrifice short-term success in exchange for doing the hard work to improve their long-term goals.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!