Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts clear on Paul Bissonnette's dig at Connor Bedard, draws parallels with $100,000,000 superstar

Connor Bedard has been criticized heavily since he was drafted in 2023. The number one overall pick who was tabbed as a generational prospect has had his ups and downs in professional hockey and he has not been immune to being picked apart by the media and fans.

Former hockey player Paul Bissonnette was particularly critical of Bedard recently, saying there are too many holes in his game. Bissonette said he didn't care much if Bedard could score, noting that these issues will lead to more losses.

That criticism has received some pushback, with many believing Bissonnette to be too harsh on Bedard. However, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman doesn't believe that's the case.

In fact, he believes it's a rite of passage that Connor McDavid, the $100 million man, and Auston Matthews have had to go through. He said on "32 Thoughts" (40:00):

"I mean, McDavid's game was picked apart. Matthews game has been picked apart. The best players of their generations, when they first got into the NHL, all of their games were picked apart. So on one level, I think that is a compliment of Bedard that so much is expected of him. He's a number-one pick. He's a really talented player, and when people tune in, they want to be impressed."

Friedman ultimately believes that Bedard being so heavily critiqued means that he has high expectations and those aren't placed on just anybody.

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What did Paul Bissonnette say about Connor Bedard?

Paul Bissonette went viral for calling Connor Bedard's current defensive acumen more like "pond hockey" than anything that would help the Chicago Blackhawks win games.

Connor Bedard shrugged off Paul Bissonnette's criticism (Imagn)

Via Athlon Sports, he said:

"There are so many little details to his game that he’s lacking right now. Yes, he might put up 30, 35 goals a season and get his 50, 55 assists, playing power play and getting all these minutes, but they’re going to continue to lose hockey games if that’s how he’s playing."

Bedard saw the criticism from Bissonnette and others, but it's not bothering him. He responded after Thursday's practice:

“I’m not watching broadcasts or anything; I’m playing hockey. Their job is to say what they see. I couldn’t care less what people on the outside think of me."

He also added that he wouldn't be "butthurt" if someone said he made a bad play because it's "their job" to call him out on those things.