Bedard Still Not Practicing as Camp Moves On Without Him

The coach said it plainly Wednesday: Connor Bedard is not close to getting on the ice. That's a notable update this deep into training camp, and it raises a straightforward question about opening week — the new captain is not going to be ready for it.

This is the same shoulder that cost him the first chunk of last season. Chicago got a version of Bedard eventually, and what they got was 48 points in 38 games. The problem last year was never him. The problem was that by the time he was healthy, the team had already dug itself into a hole it couldn't climb out of. The front office will not want a repeat of that sequence.

The rest of camp has kept moving. Kane is on the ice and adjusting. The preseason roster decisions are getting made. But the team's best player and new captain is watching from somewhere that is not the practice rink, and there is no timeline attached to that yet. Worth keeping an eye on how many games this stretches into once the regular season opens.