Nick Foligno open to welcoming Connor Bedard home next year

Is this really surprising? I’ll let you answer that question.

We all agree that everyone will want to watch him to see if he can be as dominant as he was this year in junior and at the World Junior Championship, not least because he’s being touted as the NHL’s next phenom.

I don’t think anyone expects him to struggle, even in his first season in the big leagues. Knock on wood, but Bedard has a special talent and it would be more than surprising to see the young man have trouble adapting to the game and speed of the best league on earth.

It’s not impossible… But it almost is.

But like any other 18-year-old (his birthday is July 17) arriving in the NHL, Bedard will need to be well coached. He’s only a young adult, after all, and it can be hard at this age to survive the responsibilities of playing professionally.

I’m not saying he won’t be able to do it for X reason. It’s just a fact. Even Sidney Crosby, in his rookie year, went to live with Mario Lemieux to get the coaching he needed.

That’s far from a bad thing.

On that subject, the Hawks have signed 35-year-old veteran Nick Foligno. The former Bruins, Leafs and Blue Jackets player was asked if he’d mind having Bedard in his home next season…

I sure would. And not just for Bedard. For any other young Blackhawks player, too! – Nick Foligno

We know on the Hawks side that he has the potential to help and mentor the team’s young players. Foligno already wore the “C” on his jersey in Columbus, and he knows what it’s like to be a leader with the kids.

In the clip, I found it comical when he said his kid was more excited about him knowing the family was moving to Chicago. Obviously, his son has seen videos of Connor Bedard on social networks… And Foligno jokes that his son doesn’t hesitate to say that the 17-year-old is already better than his father.

That’s fair enough, hehe.

But, back to the story, it’s cool to see. We know that Bedard is close to his mother and father, and who knows, maybe they’ll decide to follow him to Chicago in the near future.

For now, though…

His parents can rest easy knowing that one of the NHL’s finest veterans is open to taking him in and mentoring him.

In gusto

– New contract for Travis Dermott.

– Blake Coleman’s name startled me.

– Great deal for the Bruins, who add depth and speed to their lineup.

– Lars Eller already has the knife between his teeth.