It’s been a season of milestones for the Detroit Red Wings during their centennial campaign, as multiple rookies have not only made the team but also tallied their first of hopefully many goals at the NHL level.
And now, Nate Danielson can add his name to the list. Danielson, whom the Red Wings made their opening round selection (ninth overall) in 2023, scored the first goal of his NHL career on Tuesday evening against the Seattle Kraken.
Danielson redirected a shot from fellow rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka past Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord for the historic tally. Immediately, rookie Emmitt Finnie retrieved the puck for a keepsake souvenir:
Just minutes later, Danielson would score what appeared to be a highlight-reel goal, only to have it ultimately waived off after Finnie was ruled to have entered the offensive zone an instant too early.
While the Kraken would knot the score at 2-2 just minutes afterward, Danielson then collected an assist on a goal from Finnie, his first goal since Oct. 25.
The Red Wings now have eight total goals scored by rookies so far this season, which is good for a three-way tie with the St. Louis Blues and New York Islanders for the second most in the NHL.
Connor Bedard is having a great bounce-back performance in his third NHL season. The 20-year-old went on a nine-game point streak (Oct. 26 to Nov. 12) with a blistering 19 points during the span. Blackhawks fans are already comparing Bedard to former Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.
So the question is: Can Connor Bedard become the next Patrick Kane?
Bedard’s nine-game point streak came to an end Nov. 15 in the Blackhawks’ 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Across those nine games, Bedard scored eight goals and recorded 11 assists, including a hat trick against the Ottawa Senators on Frozen Frenzy night and a four-point performance against Calgary. Both of these games from Bedard were star-studded performances from a player of his caliber.
In the Blackhawks’ 4-0 shutout win over the Flames, Bedard became the youngest player in Blackhawks history to reach 150 career NHL points, achieving the milestone at 20 years, 113 days old.
“Sometimes the points come, sometimes they don’t,” Bedard said after the Calgary win. “For me, it’s just about the process and getting chances, making plays, and that’s when the points come.”
Bedard’s nine-game point streak featured strong performances and improvements in his young career. Some of those best games included:
Across his nine games, Bedard registered at least one point in those matchups, with five of them being multi-point efforts.
According to NHL EDGE Tracking, Bedard’s 19 points during a nine-game point streak placed him among the top three 20-or-younger players in the last 30 years, joining other first-round draft picks Sidney Crosby (2005) and Connor McDavid (2015).
While his 19 points in a nine-game span are impressive, Bedard’s numbers show a deeper meaning.
On a Blackhawks team that is still in rebuilding mode, Bedard was the engine and juice behind the wheel.
Both Bedard and Kane are similar in many ways. Besides being first-overall draft picks (Kane in 2007 and Bedard in 2023), they both put up 146 points in their first 164 games with the Blackhawks. Kane had 48 goals and 98 assists while Bedard had 52 goals and 94 assists.
Also, they are both great stickhandlers and have elite-level vision on the ice. However, there are some differences in this one:
So can he become the next Kane? That depends on the comparison:
Chicago has a bright future and Bedard is the main piece of it.
So even though after the streak ended on Nov. 15, Bedard’s nine-game run remains one of the clearest signs that Chicago has their next cornerstone and franchise player. His consistency and ability to elevate the team show that he is going to be in for the long haul and win hockey games with the Blackhawks.
While the comparisons to Kane are nice, Bedard is building a legacy of his own and doing things on his own terms.