Connor Bedard Fantasy outlook 2023: Is Blackhawks star worth the hype in debut NHL season?

Connor Bedard has been hailed as a generational talent and compared to the likes of Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby before he even played an NHL game. Bedard was drafted first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks and he enters the 2023 season with sky-high expectations.

Bedard is currently the heavy favorite to win the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year and the betting market has his over/under goal total at 32.5, which would be a great rookie season.

With all the hype surrounding him, there's no question Bedard is being taken early in fantasy hockey drafts, but will he live up to the potential?

Connor Bedard's Fantasy Outlook

If Connor Bedard stays healthy, he likely will live up to the expectations of a rookie, but not the expectations people have of him.

Rookies usually struggle in the NHL as they are now playing against fully-grown adults and the speed and strength of players are different to junior hockey.

Alexander Ovechkin is the last player to go for over 100 points in his rookie season, while Auston Matthews only recorded 40 goals and 69 points in his rookie campaign.

It's hard for players to be over a point-per-game player in the NHL, but Blackhawks left winger Taylor Hall has confidence in Connor Bedard, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers:

"You can tell watching him deal with the media and talk he's pretty well-mannered," Hall said. "He knows what to expect, has high expectations for himself.

"For guys like (Foligno) and I, it's about letting him play and bringing the best out of him, trying to eliminate distractions and give him advice and mentor him along as best as possible."

Chicago did do a good job adding veterans like Hall, Nick Foligno, and Corey Perry to help mentor Bedard. If Bedard can settle, there's no reason why he can't be a top-30 fantasy hockey player this season.

When is Connor Bedard getting drafted?

Connor Bedard's average draft position in fantasy hockey is all over the place. Some fans may just want him on their team so they reach on him, but he's currently going 34th overall on Yahoo, 17th overall at ESPN, and 42nd on CBS.

At that current rate, Bedard should live up to the expectations, and even at 42, it feels a tad late. Bedard should be able to be a top-25 to 30 fantasy player this season, which is where he is mostly being drafted around.