Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Connor Bedard Rejects Blackhawks' Rebuild Timeline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 12:22 PM ET

The Chicago Blackhawks followed up Monday’s win over the Utah Mammoth with a dominant 8–3 rout of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night, led by a three-assist performance from Connor Bedard.

Appearing on the "NHL on TNT" postgame show alongside teammate and fellow former first-round pick Frank Nazar, Bedard made it clear that the Blackhawks' mindset is already focused on the present, not the future.

“We want to win,” Bedard said. “We don’t want to win in three years. We want to win now. We just got to work hard and play our game and not kind of deviate from that. ... You win some, you lose some, but if we stick to what we are, then I think we’ll be good.”

Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar say the @NHLBlackhawks aren't backing down to anyone this season pic.twitter.com/GfPltMh9IU
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 16, 2025

The 20-year-old’s comments underscored a shift in tone within the organization, which is still pretty much taking the first steps of its rebuilding process.

The Blackhawks, which entered the season as the NHL’s third-youngest team , are beginning to show flashes of what general manager Kyle Davidson’s long-term plan could deliver while aiming at breaking their five-year playoff drought.

Just Wednesday, 13 different Blackhawks scored a point against St. Louis, with Lukas Reichel scoring twice and Alex Vlasic joining Bedard among those with more than one assist.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) skates during a stoppage of play.Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

“It was a lot of fun,” Nazar said about Wednesday's victory. “Obviously, felt really sweet to go out there and put up a good number against a team like that, obviously a playoff-contending team. It was really good there.”

Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has quickly emerged as both the face and voice of the franchise, although he's yet to fully blossom into the generational talent he's projected to become.

Chicago sits seventh in the Western Conference with five points and a 2-2-1 record, in a clear step forward for the young squad, albeit still in a very early stage of the season.

The Blackhawks return home for a game against the Vancouver Canucks at 8:30 p.m. ET Friday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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