The first battle between Connor McDavid, Connor Bedard is the start of something special for the NHL

Tonight marks the first of many meetings between Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard. With the two franchise players going at it for the first time, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk talk about what’s at stake and how the two line up against each other. 

Tyler Yaremchuk: Tonight on ESPN, a big matchup and the first matchup between Connor Vs Connor. If you look at how Bedard’s career has started, it’s a little slower pace-wise behind McDavid through his first 27 games. He has passed him in goals, and one thing that I think favors Bedard is that McDavid was hurt by his 13th game and in those first 13 games he was under a point per game but then he came back and had that three-point night against Columbus and the rest was history.  I think for Bedard he absolutely deserves an A+ for the first 27 games of his career. The way he has continually gotten better as well has been impressive. 

Frank Seravalli: Better and he is seeing the game differently. He’s using different angles, you can tell by the way he’s attacking and more than that look at the lack of support Bedard has around him compared to what McDavid had going for him in Edmonton with all the No. 1 overall picks there.

Frank Seravalli: The depth has eroded in Chicago, something I don’t think they’re happy with. Taylor Hall’s season is done, Corey Perry’s contract being terminated and it feels like night after night Bedard is able to do something very special. If you look at the goal pace he is on, which is around 40, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. Only two in the salary cap era have done it and only one as an 18-year-old and that was Auston Matthews. That’s a pretty elite company to even get it that 40-goal plateau. If you look at what Bedard has already accomplished given his lack of support, given his compete, his vision, awareness and his skating is way better than we thought since everyone just talked about the shot.

Frank Seravalli: There was some ridiculous nonsense going around yesterday about “Who would you pick, McDavid or Bedard to start a franchise” and that’s absolute lunacy Connor McDavid wins hands down every single time, with all respect to Connor Bedard. I already have McDavid pretty close to being on my NHL Mount Rushmore of all time. McDavid is going to stay there, but I truly believe when all is said and done, Bedard will be on that next level down which is still amazing and I can’t wait to see these two go head to head.

You can watch the full segment here…