Bedard equipped to handle 'circus' surrounding generational player, McDavid says

EDMONTON -- If there is anyone who understands what Connor Bedard is going through in his rookie season, it's Connor McDavid.

When McDavid was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, he was expected to become a generational player. He has.

The same expectations have been put on Bedard, who was selected No. 1 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft.

"It seems like he's very mature, mature beyond his years," McDavid said.

The two will go head-to-head in the NHL for the first time when the Blackhawks visit the Oilers at Rogers Place (10 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, ESPN) on Tuesday and Edmonton on a seven-game winning streak after defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Sunday.

It's not the first time they will be on the ice together. Each skated at the BioSteel camp run in the offseason by retired NHL forward Gary Roberts.

"The story at the BioSteel camp, this was two years ago, he was a 2-on-1, and he was looking off Sid (Sidney Crosby) and shooting the puck. He was 17 at the time," McDavid said. "Obviously, he's got the confidence on the ice, and I say that respectfully, not in a bad way. He has a lot of confidence on the ice and he's mature off the ice."

Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, got a glimpse of Bedard when he was much younger.

"When he was 12, we were like, 'Who's the kid on the ice?' I was about 25," Nugent-Hopkins said. "And then he was 13, and 14, and shooting the puck as hard as anyone on ice already. And throughout the years, you slowly saw him develop.

"Jon Calvano, he coaches (in Vancouver area) and he gets ice for us and does our summer skates and things like that. He had Bedard at a young age with different teams and so he would just bring him out sometimes to just show him what we're doing. He's been a special player since I've known him, and he just keeps getting better and better. He was 15, 16, and shooting the puck like an NHLer already. He moves well, but I think the way he thinks the game too is kind of why he's able to get himself in good spots to release that shot. All around, he's just a great player."

Bedard has lived up to expectations in his first NHL season, leading rookies with 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 27 games. He had two assists in a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

McDavid was also a generational player coming into the NHL and the cornerstone of a rebuild in Edmonton. He likely would not have been looking off Crosby on a 2-on-1 rush as a 17-year-old.

"No. Probably not," McDavid laughed. "I would say, obviously, when you're around it your whole life, at 12 years old and around NHLers, it just becomes normal. This has been his path probably since even before that."

McDavid had 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 45 games as a rookie in 2015-16, missing 37 games with a broken collarbone sustained when crashing into the end boards against the Philadelphia Flyers 13 games into the season. The injury may have cost him the Calder Trophy as the NHL rookie of the year. He was third in voting behind then-Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and winner Artemi Panarin, who finished with 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 80 games for the Blackhawks.

Bedard is on pace for 70 points this season, and if he stays healthy would be the front-runner for the Calder.

"It looks like he's handling everything really well," McDavid said. "Obviously, there are things going on there in Chicago, and he's handled it really well and is playing at a very high level. 

"For him, I'm sure it's a lot. Everywhere he goes, it's a circus. It'll be no different here when he comes to Edmonton, I'm sure you guys (the media) will make him feel good and welcome, but he's handled it all, it seems like, very well."

McDavid said dealing with off-ice issues also comes into to play for a young player like Bedard. He lived in a house with Taylor Hall, chosen No. 1 by the Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft, and forward Luke Gazdic during his first season. Bedard lives on his own in Chicago and is teammates with Hall, a forward out for the season with a knee injury.

"Away from the rink, you just feel a little bit more like an adult, even though you're not quite ready," McDavid said. "I remember being 18 years old and not living with your family, not living with a billet family. Obviously, in the NHL you get treated like an adult, there's no rules and curfew and all that stuff. It has to be a choice that comes from within and to be prepared. I feel like most of the stuff away from the rink was the biggest change."

Despite their similar paths, McDavid said he hasn't given Bedard much in the way of advice but is keeping tabs on his progress.

"There's little conversations, things that he might ask about, certain situations or plays, more on-ice stuff," McDavid said. "There's not a lot of advice giving. Who am I to give him advice? He's got a good head on his shoulders. I got a chance to meet his family at the draft. It seems like he comes from a great family. He's got many good people around him to talk him through all that."