Spittin’ Chiclets Hosts Compare NHL’s Young Stars to Legends

The Modern Version of Crosby vs. Ovechkin?

On a recent episode of the Spittin' Chicklets podcast, Bissonnette compared the current debate among fans to one that defined a generation.

“The most talked about thing right now is Maclin Celebrini and Bedard and people comparing them and going back and forth kind of how we did with Ovi and Sid when they started,” he said. “We were just pinning them up against one another, right? Well, now we got three [Leo Carlsson included].”

It’s a fair point. Back in the mid-2000s, the NHL was fueled by the rivalry between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, two once-in-a-lifetime talents whose careers ran side by side for nearly two decades. Now, we may be watching history repeat itself — but with an extra player in the mix.

Bissonnette went further, drawing direct comparisons between the new trio and some of the game’s greats.

“Do you want Sasha Barkov or Anze Kopitar in Leo Carlsson? Do you want the Crosby comparison with Maclin Celebrini? And I don’t know who you’d really compare with Bedard,” he wondered aloud.

To which Ryan Whitney quickly replied: “Kane?”

Comparing Bedard to Kane: The Numbers Don’t Lie

That comparison might be a lot closer than most people realizes. Through their first 164 games, Bedard and Patrick Kane have nearly identical numbers — Bedard with 52 goals, 94 assists, and 146 points, Kane with 48 goals, 98 assists, and 146 points. It’s eerie symmetry, and it speaks to how rare Bedard’s early production really is.

Similar to how Auston Matthews is mirroring Ovechkin’s career goal pace, the new generation is carving its place alongside legends. Whether they can sustain it remains to be seen, but if they do, this could be the rivalry that defines modern hockey.