David Bedkowski
2024-25 team: Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
Date of Birth: Dec. 7, 2006
Place of Birth: Toronto, ON, CAN
Ht: 6-foot-5 Wt: 214 pounds
Shoots: Right
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
Rankings
After finding himself traded from the Oshawa Generals to the Owen Sound Attack early this season, David Bedkowski greatly impacted the backend of the ice for the Attack. One of the first things you notice when Bedkowski is on the ice is his size. Standing at 6-foot-5, 214 pounds, he is a physical presence and uses it to his advantage quite well.
David Bedkowski, pictured with the Oshawa Generals, was one of the Owen Sound Attack’s defensemen after being traded there early this season. (Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media)
Defensively, Bedkowski uses his size to throw hits on opponents, but he can also use his reach when he needs to, so he does not take himself out of position on a rush or defensive play. Sometimes, he gets in trouble with his physicality, but for the most part, he knows when and when not to use it. He is relatively mobile for a player his size, which helps make him very active in the defensive zone and on rushes to keep opponents to the outside and out of the high danger goal-scoring areas of the offensive zone. If he is the off-puck defenseman on a rush, he has the vision and intelligence to find the trailing player and takes away the passing lane that could be there for a shot attempt. While playing sound defensively for most of his time on the ice, he tends to find himself floating around the defensive zone too much, taking himself out of position.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Offensively, Bedkowski’s skating limits him, as he is not the quickest with his footwork. He does not let that limit him, though, as he is strong from his point spot, engaging and activating on pinches well to make a play on the puck. His shot is strong from the point and further into the offensive zone when he is involved down low. Overall, he may not light the world on fire offensively, but he has the skills to be efficient in all three zones of the ice and will be a player many NHL organizations will keep tabs on in the draft.
Other THW Draft Profiles
David Bedkowski – NHL Draft Projection
With Bedkowski’s size and overall two-way game, he falls in the middle tier of defensemen in this year’s draft class and should be picked in the middle-to-late third round in June.
Quotables
“He is a robust shutdown defenseman who can neutralize opposing forwards effectively. His positioning and ability to read the game make him a reliable presence in the defensive zone.” – Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers
“Bedkowski isn’t going to wow anyone with his offensive skill. He’s a mostly simple two-way/shutdown defenceman who matches up against top opponents and rolls over the boards on the first penalty-killing unit. His skating is solid, but there is room for Bedkowski to jump to space a fraction quicker in his zone and use his length to kill plays.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
“His long reach allows him to disrupt the cycle and make smart poke checks to regain possession. He often lurks in the defensive zone, occupying space in the middle of the ice to take away high-danger lanes from the opposition. In order for Bedkowski to take his defensive game to the next level, he needs to become a better rush defender.” – Nathan Hutchinson, Future Considerations
Strengths
Physicality – he uses his size and reach to his advantage at both ends of the ice
Activates well from the point in the offensive zone
Does well keeping opponents out of high-danger areas on rushes
Mobile defenseman for his size
Has good vision as an off-puck defenseman to find open opponents to shut down passing lanes
Strong shot
Not afraid to put his body on the line to block shots
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
While he has improved at using his body, he needs to work on reining it in more to stay out of trouble positionally.
He plays riskily in the neutral zone defensively. Picking his spots better to jump passing lanes will help cut down on rushes for opponents.
Skating is not his strong suit. Working on his footwork and quickness will help him improve his overall game.
His passing precision and accuracy need to be worked on to help make him more of a playmaker from the point.
With his skating around the zone, he is out of position defensively at times. Staying engaged and positionally sound will give him more opportunities at the next level.
NHL Potential
Bedkowski has the tools to become a third-pairing defenseman at the NHL level if he can continue to develop his game. He also has the defensive mindset to be a potential penalty killer.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk: 2/5 Reward: 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offense: 4.5/10 Defense: 6.5/10
Awards/Achievements
2025 Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
Interviews/Links
David Bedkowski Stats
Videos
DAVID BEDKOWSKI (RHD, 6’5″, DY) played 2 games since he returned from his injury. He’s still (very) raw, but he is so mean, he has a great shot, and has even shown some decent stretch passes. #2025NHLdraft pic.twitter.com/NRCNk72ul9
— Briser la glace (@Briserlaglace_) November 15, 2024
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