Discouraging news delivered to Connor Bedard from NHL insider Chris Johnston on Olympics

The Chicago Blackhawks have found a new level of play this season with center Connor Bedard leading the way.

Per HockeyDB, in 21 games this season, he's turned up the heat, scoring 31 points (13-18). He's been the discussion of points leaders this season in the NHL and has vastly improved his game compared to last year.

This year, he's third in the entire NHL for points, in league with elite forwards like Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini (1st overall in 2024).

As one of the points leaders in the NHL, is Bedard a good candidate for Team Canada?

Bedard's defensive game hasn't been top-tier, but he's helped keep the team afloat in trying times.

He's been in discussion for a spot on Team Canada's 2026 Olympic roster, but according to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, it might require some humility to address that topic.

It appears he's not a shoe-in any time now or in the future.

Bedard may not have the size or resume that players like Nathan MacKinnon or Sidney Crosby have, but he shouldn't be discounted for that reason alone. He has plenty of skills to offer Team Canada and has shown improvement in his game year after year.

The team will instead look to rely upon the usual suspects this year, with Mark Stone, Brandon Hagel, Travis Konecny, Sam Bennett, and Seth Jarvis to fill out the roster.

It's shameful that Bedard won't get a fair shot at a chance for this year's Olympic teams, given that he's accomplished a lot in a short period of time.

The former Calder Trophy winner, we have to keep pushing forward till he catches the eye of Team Canada one day. He was invited to the training camp for Team Canada in August this past summer but was unable to accomplish another one of his dreams yet.