Connor Bedard grabbed all the spotlights in the NHL, but it wasn’t enough for the Chicago Blackhawks. Following the 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Frank Nazar offered a stern admission about his thoughts after yet another narrow-margin defeat.

Bedard and the Blackhawks are holding their ground against some of the best teams in the NHL. After years of being a walk in the park for opponents, simply being competitive is a positive sign for fans in Chicago. However, the Hawks would still like to close out some of the tight games they’ve recently let slip away.

“[We] try to work for each other, and [when] it doesn’t end up working out, it sucks,” Nazar stated, via The Chicago Sun-Times. “There’s spurts in the game where we looked really good and we were outplaying them. [It’s about] just continuing to get rid of those small little mishaps.”

Bedard keeps his red-hot form

Following his four-point outing against the Anaheim Ducks, the Golden Knights knew they couldn’t let Bedard out of their sights. Still, there was nothing that could’ve been done to prevent him from scoring an absolute beauty on Carter Hart—who made his season debut and first start since January 2024.

With his goal against Vegas, Bedard found the back of the net for the 17th time in the 2025-26 NHL season. With over 50 games left in the campaign, the former first overall pick is now six goals away from matching his best goal mark in a season (23). So far in the campaign, Bedard registers 38 points (17G, 21A).

Connor Bedard's net worth: How much money does the Chicago Blackhawks player have?

see also

Connor Bedard’s net worth: How much money does the Chicago Blackhawks player have?

To put the cherry on top on another sensational outing in the season, Bedard scored a nifty goal in the shootout round. However — as it’s been a common theme all year long — it wasn’t enough as Chicago fell once again.

Confident Bedard is putting league on notice

Needless to say, Bedard is playing the best hockey of his NHL career. After enduring a sophomore slump during the 2024–25 season, the North Vancouver native has now hit the ground running. It has become clear as day just how lethal Bedard can be when his confidence is high.

Credit should also go to Jeff Blashill, who has changed the tune in Chicago. Though the results aren’t fully there yet, the winds of change can be felt in the Windy City, and Blashill has helped Bedard unlock his potential — exactly what the Hawks hoped to see from their franchise wonderkid.

SurveyWho is the best young player in the league?

Who is the best young player in the league?