When a player is hailed as "the next one" the way Chicago Blackhawks 19-year-old star Connor Bedard has been since he was drafted first in 2023, the hype and pressure that goes with it is a lot.
Now that he's in his second season in the NHL and his team hosts the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, taking the temperature for where he and his team are right now can lead to hot takes about a player hailed as a generational talent.
Bedard is Chicago's leading point scorer so far this season with 32 and he's just behind Tyler Bertuzzi and Ryan Donato for the team lead in goals.