A year ago, Connor Bedard was considered to be the likely top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Flash forward to now, and there's no denying that Bedard is far and beyond the best player in this draft class.
Bedard not only solidified himself as the top player in a loaded 2023 draft class, but he raised his stock so high that he is viewed as the NHL's next generational talent. There hasn't been this much hype about an NHL prospect since Connor McDavid in 2015.
Between his dominant WHL season with the Regina Pats, to his record-breaking performance at the 2023 World Juniors, the native of North Vancouver took the hockey world by storm in arguably his most important season to date.
Bedard is a certified sniper who already owns one of the best releases in the world at just 17 years old. Whichever team wins the draft lottery and the right to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft has a chance to add a cornerstone franchise piece.
The Sporting News dives into the stats from Bedard's sensational draft year.
MORE: Who will be the No. 2 pick at the 2023 NHL Draft after Connor Bedard?
Connor Bedard, by the numbers
143
Bedard ended the 2022-23 WHL season with 143 points in 57 games, leading the league by a wide margin. The next-closest player had 107 points.
While it was an impressive number, it did not crack the top 50 of the WHL's single-season record book. However, it was the most points since Brendan Shinnimin put up 134 in 2011-12 with the Tri-City Americans.
71
Bedard lit the lamp 71 times for Regina this season. That was 21 more than the second-best player, which was Red Deer Rebels forward Kai Uchacz with 50.
The 71 goals in a single season is tied for the 23rd-most in WHL history. Bedard is one of just two players in this century to score at least 70 goals, joining Jayden Halbgewachs, who scored 70 with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
4
Out of the 56 games Bedard played this season with Regina, he failed to score a point just four times. That's right, he recorded at least one point in 52 out of the 56 games he played with Regina this year.
1.00
Bedard ended his WHL career with an even 1.00 goals per game average. The 2023 prospect scored 134 goals in 134 career games in the league, the fourth-highest average ever by a player who skated in at least 200 WHL games.
2.022
The 17-year-old sensation concluded his WHL career with 271 points in 134 games. That gives him a career average of 2.022 points per game, an incredible average. Bedard's career PPG rate places 10th in league history and the highest that the league has seen since the early 1980s.
5
The 2023 World Juniors were seen as Bedard's biggest test for his draft year. He passed with flying colors.
Not only did he lead Canada to a gold-medal win at the tournament, he was flat-out dominant. Playing against kids up to three years older than him, Bedard ran circles around the opposition, breaking five Canadian records at the tournament in the process.
He set the Canadian World Junior records for most career points (36), most career goals (17), most points at a single tournament (23) and most assists at a single tournament (14). He also broke the U18 World Juniors record for most points at a single competition with 23.
Bedard was named the 2023 MVP, as well as the tournament's Best Forward and a selection to the Media All-Star squad.
