"Looking at the points race one month into the season gave us a glimpse into the future -- even if for one fleeting moment. Upon gazing at the very mountaintop of goals and assists prior to Saturday night's games, one wouldn't see the familiar names of Connor McDavid (21 points, tied for third), Jack Eichel (also 21, after leading for much of the season), Nathan MacKinnon (20 points, tied for eighth) or even Leon Draisaitl (17 points)."
"I found it poetic that in a week where hockey fans celebrated what could be one of the last meetings between two of the greatest rivals in NHL history -- Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin -- we see perhaps the next big hockey rivalry emerging atop the leaderboard in the 20-year-old Bedard and the 19-year-old Celebrini. Like Crosby and Ovechkin, who were selected first overall a year apart (2005 and 2004), Bedard (2023) and Celebrini (2024) are also sequential first overall picks."
Macklin Celebrini leads the NHL with 23 points one month into the season, while Connor Bedard sits second with 22. Established stars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon and Leon Draisaitl were not atop the early leaderboard. ESPN Research indicates Celebrini and Bedard are the only players age 20 or younger to rank top two in points through that stage or later in NHL history. Celebrini, 19, and Bedard, 20, were sequential first overall draft picks, echoing the Crosby-Ovechkin arrival. Early comparisons between the two rookies are turning into excitement over a potential enduring rivalry and showcase of skill.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]