Connor Bedard NHL comparison: Who does the incoming #1 overall pick most closely resemble?

Connor Bedard is expected to be drafted first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks next week and the expectations are sky-high.

For years, Bedard's name has been brought up as a future NHL star and in the WHL he lived up to the hype. Throughout his junior career, he has been compared to fellow Canadians in Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, while some scouts have compared his shot to Auston Matthews as he has a wicked shot.

With Bedard being a complete player, many view him as a future Hall of Famer and the comparison that has come up the most is McDavid.

Connor Bedard vs. Connor McDavid

Connor Bedard won't be the fastest skater in this 2023 NHL Draft. His skating is behind Connor McDavid's, but he gets to the right areas.

Although McDavid can get on breakaways with his speed, Bedard's skating has been compared to Mitch Marner, who is still a really good skater.

Where Bedard and McDavid's comparisons start to come into play is their offensive ability and hockey IQ. Both Bedard and McDavid have great shots and can score plenty of goals, but their playmaking ability makes them a complete player.

At the 2023 NHL Draft Combine, Central Scouting director Dan Marr said Bedard reminds him of Connor McDavid.

“He's right up there with Connor McDavid, it's just the next generation,” Marr said regarding Bedard's quickness, shot and ability to read and adapt. “So Connor McDavid started that trend, and Connor Bedard is going to lead it into the next trend.”

Former player John Paddock recently said:

“I think you can use a lot of adjectives to describe it. That's quite a high ceiling. But there's no indication he's not going to do that based on what he's done to date.”

Although Bedard's game has been compared to Connor McDavid, the projected first-overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks isn't letting that get to him.

"I think when people kind of put me against someone - McDavid, for example - I'm like, 'Well, that guy's got 700 points in 20 games in the NHL,'" Bedard said during an interview with Sportsnet's Sam Cosentino. "I think what I'm doing right now is obviously not to the impact of that, but obviously it's cool to see your name with those guys.

"I hope to play against them one day, that would be a dream come true. For me, I've got a lot of games left to still prove myself and I've gotta get out there and do that and try and get better every day."

In their junior careers, McDavid recorded 285 points in 166 games (97 goals and 188 assists) over three seasons with the Erie Otters. Connor Bedard, meanwhile, recorded 271 points in 134 games (134 goals and 137 assists) in three seasons in the WHL.

Bedard seems more of a goalscorer than McDavid but both have the ability to take over games and be the reason their team wins. Although it is a lofty comparison, at this time, there seems to be no reason why Bedard can't live up to the expectations.