Rookie Connor Bedard will have to be patient and possibly forget about the Calder Trophy, as Chicago Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson indicated on Monday that in his case, he will face at least six weeks of inactivity from now on.
After the 18-year-old hockey player suffered a broken jaw caused by a hit from New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith on Jan. 5, he was initially expected to miss six to eight weeks of playing time. However, it seems that the maximum of this estimated period is reached. Even though he has recently started skating again, Bedard needs to make sure the affected bone is closed. If everything goes as planned, the striker will not return to the National League until March.
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“Initially it was supposed to be six to eight weeks but we didn't really know what to expect because honestly you never know. Ask me again in a month. Until then, he won't come back and there will be no change. But at the same time I don't know anything about it. Six weeks into early January or today, the announced deadline is still being met,” Richardson told NHL.com after the 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
“He won’t be back this week, which would have been good, but that’s not for a lack of desire on his part. That's just the medical side of things. The specialists will tell us when it will be ready,” he added.
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Unfortunately for the player in question and his admirers, only body and time determine what happens next. There's no point rushing No. 98's return, especially since the Hawks are still far from a playoff spot in the standings.
“Even when he had a blister on his face in training, I couldn’t use it. He must not go too hard so that the bones can heal after the surgery he has undergone. Despite a full grid, it will touch the chin, so we have to let time take its effect and wait for it to heal,” the pilot recalls.
The Calder?
Those who predicted last fall that the Bettman circuit's premier rookie would receive the first pick in the 2023 draft may be biting their lips. Certainly Bedard was dominating the rookies with 33 points when he fell in combat. His inactivity will allow other candidates to gain attention.
Among them are Brock Faber and Marco Rossi of the Minnesota Wild, who each have 27 points this season. Behind them, Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils) and Adam Fantilli (Columbus Blue Jackets) have two fewer.