Connor Bedard's rookie season is so much more than just your ordinary first-year pro learning the ropes of the NHL game. Everyone knows it.

The hype, the excitement, the overwhelming displays of skill – it makes for a rare viewing experience that even the most casual fan can appreciate.

The weight of that is probably a lot to bear for Bedard, but when you follow in the footsteps of players like Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid, it's the ability to thrive in this environment that makes someone special.

Bedard was passing the test with flying colours. That is, right up until he suffered a broken jaw on a hit at the start of January that took him out of the All-Star Game. That left the Blackhawks budding star with 15 goals and 18 assists at the 39-game mark, a couple of high