Why Connor Bedard could be a generational NHL talent: Film room

Connor Bedard will change the fortunes of a lucky franchise the second he dons an NHL sweater. Every basement-dwelling team is hoping, praying and drooling about the possibility of announcing his name as the No. 1 selection on June 28 in Nashville.

The 17-year-old from North Vancouver has taken the hockey world by storm all season. Bedard broke the record for most points by a Canadian in a single world juniors tournament, is the first 17-year-old CHL player to score 70 goals in a season in over 25 years and has produced at a whopping 2.50 points-per-game pace for the Regina Pats in the WHL. All he knows is domination and the NHL is his next sandbox.

That sparkling resume is why he’s the most hyped prospect since Connor McDavid.

Bedard’s shot has become his defining attribute, a relentless weapon against goaltenders. It has a freakish combination of elite elements. There’s the Auston Matthews-like way he’s able to conceal and manipulate his release point, which makes it nearly impossible for goaltenders to read. There’s the way he’s able to give his shots heavy power despite his lightning-quick release, a combination that means he can launch from anywhere, with the smallest daylight of space a defender affords him. Then, there’s the pinpoint accuracy and how he can find twine from the sharpest angles.

All of that is special. But it takes a lot more than an elite shot to become such a rarefied prospect. It piqued my curiosity: How does a 5-foot-10 forward who doesn’t blow by defenders with McDavid- or Nathan MacKinnon-type speed become such a nightmare for players to defend against? And what does it say about how his skill set, aside from his excellent shot, might translate to the NHL?

I pored into Bedard game tape to find answers.

How Bedard manipulates his body position to create offense

Bedard is exceptionally difficult to defend because of how slippery he is as a puck carrier. I don’t mean slippery in terms of the edge work of his skating (although he’s pretty good in that department too), it’s the combination of his hockey sense and elite puck skills that makes it so difficult for defensemen to anticipate how he’s going to attack. That unpredictability is why he can generate scoring chances independently — he doesn’t need linemates to feed him the puck in prime shooting positions.

In terms of hockey sense, Bedard is highly imaginative and processes the game incredibly well. He’s also extremely adaptable. If a defender is in a good position, he’ll find a creative way to change his body position or method of attack to open something new up.

For example, here’s a two-on-two rush where Bedard is receiving the puck from his teammate on an entry. Bedard’s best option is the trailer but he needs to wait for that player to enter the zone. The problem is the defender guarding Bedard is tightly contesting and could pokecheck if Bedard waits for the trailer to enter, especially since his skating…