NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Vegas Golden Knights - Source: Imagn — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard's excitement for Celeb Williams and Chicago Bears (Credit: IMAGN)

Blackhawks star Connor Bedard has high hopes for Chicago newcomer Caleb Williams ahead of Bears season opener

Modified Sep 08, 2024 18:59 GMT

Late Friday night, Blackhawks star Connor Bedard went live on Instagram. The 19-year-old shared his excitement about Chicago’s sports scene.

Bedard showed enthusiasm for Caleb Williams, the new Chicago Bears quarterback. Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, debuts this Sunday against Tennessee. His game begins at noon at Soldier Field.

Bedard, wearing a Bulls hat, said,

“Yeah. Give me the Bears. Caleb (Caleb Williams), I'm sure he's loving the city. How couldn't you? Obviously, we have to play in the best sports city in the world. So, I mean, they're just gonna be fired up. Huge free agency. Yeah. I mean, I think. I think they're gonna be. They're gonna make the playoffs. They're gonna be a team to watch. And Caleb. Caleb's gonna be looking at the Bears all day.”

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Williams signed a four-year, $39.49 million fully guaranteed deal with the Bears. His contract includes a $25.5 million signing bonus. Williams won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award at USC.

With Bedard’s support, the Bears' season looks promising for Chicago fans. Bedard begins his sophomore season next month. As the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, he is expected to take Chicago's reigns as captain soon.

Expectations from Connor Bedard's sophomore season for Blackhawks

Connor Bedard thought his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks was just “OK.” However, it was quite impressive. Bedard had the most productive rookie season by a No. 1 pick since Connor McDavid in 2015-16, with 61 points in 68 games and an average of 0.90 points per game. However, maintaining or improving these stats in his second season will be challenging.

Historically, rookies who tally at least 0.80 points per game have slightly declined in their second seasons. On average, they scored 0.91 points per game in their second year, down from 0.92 in their rookie season. This trend shows sophomore seasons can be tough.

That said, if Bedard remains healthy and makes the proper adjustments, aiming for 77 to 82 points is realistic. The British Columbia native must also improve his puck possession and defensive play to exceed expectations. Better performance from his linemates, including new additions Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi, will help.