Connor Bedard is as dedicated as they come.
The Blackhawks' No. 1 pick stayed well after practice ended on Saturday. He played "two-puck" with Lukas Reichel, Wyatt Kaiser and Drew Commesso. He took shots by himself. And he skated around the ice for about ten minutes by himself, before finally leaving the rink.
He's a rink rat.
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Bedard assisted two goals, including the game-winning goal in overtime, against the St. Louis Blues in his preseason debut with the Blackhawks. He put a few shots on goal, including one that came after an impressive toe-drag move.
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Overall, he was impressive.
He is not expected to play tonight against the Nashville Predators for the team's second preseason game. Obviously, he showed the coaches enough for them to know he's ready for the regular season.
Keep your eyes open for this kid. He's a hard worker and an unbelievable talent.
He's also extremely humble, stoic and hungry for success.
"I think I can be a lot better," Bedard said after his first preseason game. "I didn't think I personally played great. It's really good to get the win – obviously preseason. Nothing's better than winning. I felt good in the systems, which is a good thing. In the D-zone, I felt pretty comfortable. But I think I can do a lot better."