David Bedkowski – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Defensively, Bedkowski uses his size to throw hits on opponents, but he can also use his reach when he needs to, so he does not take himself out of position on a rush or defensive play. Sometimes, he gets in trouble with his physicality, but for the most part, he knows when and when not to use it. He is relatively mobile for a player his size, which helps make him very active in the defensive zone and on rushes to keep opponents to the outside and out of the high danger goal-scoring areas of the offensive zone. If he is the off-puck defenseman on a rush, he has the vision and intelligence to find the trailing player and takes away the passing lane that could be there for a shot attempt. While playing sound defensively for most of his time on the ice, he tends to find himself floating around the defensive zone too much, taking himself out of position.

Offensively, Bedkowski’s skating limits him, as he is not the quickest with his footwork. He does not let that limit him, though, as he is strong from his point spot, engaging and activating on pinches well to make a play on the puck. His shot is strong from the point and further into the offensive zone when he is involved down low. Overall, he may not light the world on fire offensively, but he has the skills to be efficient in all three zones of the ice and will be a player many NHL organizations will keep tabs on in the draft.

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David Bedkowski – NHL Draft Projection

With Bedkowski’s size and overall two-way game, he falls in the middle tier of defensemen in this year’s draft class and should be picked in the middle-to-late third round in June.

Quotables

“He is a robust shutdown defenseman who can neutralize opposing forwards effectively. His positioning and ability to read the game make him a reliable presence in the defensive zone.” – Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers

“Bedkowski isn’t going to wow anyone with his offensive skill. He’s a mostly simple two-way/shutdown defenceman who matches up against top opponents and rolls over the boards on the first penalty-killing unit. His skating is solid, but there is room for Bedkowski to jump to space a fraction quicker in his zone and use his length to kill plays.” – Jason Bukala, Sportsnet

“His long reach allows him to disrupt the cycle and make smart poke checks to regain possession. He often lurks in the defensive zone, occupying space in the middle of the ice to take away high-danger lanes from the opposition. In order for Bedkowski to take his defensive game to the next level, he needs to become a better rush defender.” – Nathan Hutchinson, Future Considerations

Strengths

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Bedkowski has the tools to become a third-pairing defenseman at the NHL level if he can continue to develop his game. He also has the defensive mindset to be a potential penalty killer.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5 Reward: 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 4.5/10 Defense: 6.5/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

David Bedkowski Stats

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