"But he was skating a few days ago?" - NHL fans left perplexed by latest Connor Bedard injury update and return timeline

The NHL fans are confused as Connor Bedard’s timeline for his return after his jaw injury is reported to be six weeks.

Bedard suffered an injury in a game against the New Jersey Devils on January 6th when he collided with defenseman Brendan Smith. The collision was severe enough to break Bedard's jaw. Following surgery, Connor had six to eight weeks to recover.

However, just last week, Bedard was spotted back on the ice, engaging in light practice sessions. This development was unexpected and led the fans to believe in his early return.

With Connor’s injury update, fans have taken to social media to express their confusion surrounding his return. One fan's comment encapsulated the general sentiment:

"But he was skating a few days ago???"

Connor Bedard is currently leading the Blackhawks with 33 points. He has managed to score 15 goals and contribute 18 assists.

Here are some fan reactions:

The team's adherence to the original six-week timeline suggests a commitment to Bedard's health and future career prospects.

Blackhawks’s HC Luke Richardson on Connor Bedard’s injury

Head coach Luke Richardson said on Monday to the NHL's Kevin Woodley regarding Connor Bedard’s injury update:

“He's devastated not to be here and playing, let alone just being here but he's on course on the recovery,” Richardson said. “It's going to be probably at least six weeks. It's bone settling.”

Richardson also mentioned that Bedard’s early return depends on the doctor’s decision.

“He's going to do whatever he can to get back earlier but that's a doctor's decision and when they do scans and X-rays to make sure that the bone is healed then that'll be the time to ramp up the on-ice stuff to get him ready,” Richardson said.

“He's an eager guy. He's going to do everything he can, so when he's ready to come back, he'll be ready to come back.”

Regarding the collision that resulted in Bedard’s injury, Luke said:

“I don’t know if it was dirty," Richardson said. "I think Connor was reaching for a puck and didn’t see him (Brendan), because Connor was behind one of their players."

Richardson also suggests that he viewed the situation as an accident rather than intentional.

“I don't think it was intent to hurt or anything. I think he is playing hard in blue line.”

It remains to be seen if Bedard will recover in time.