10 thoughts from the U18s: Bedard vs. Michkov, McTavish's playmaking, and more

With the U18 World Hockey Championships in the rearview mirror, it’s not even close: Connor Bedard versus Matvei Michkov was absolutely the best part of the tournament.

The top two players in the 2023 NHL Draft battled it out on the Gold Medal Game, going back-and-forth with highlight-reel plays.

Michkov recorded the highest point per game (2.29) for a draft-minus-two player in the tournament’s history while taking home MVP honours. His 12 goals were the third-most all-time, behind only Cole Caufield and Alexander Ovechkin’s 14.

Meanwhile, Bedard scored two points per game over seven, tying Connor McDavid for the highest scoring tournament by a 15-year-old.

The statistical similarities don’t stop with basic counting stats. The 2023 duo were the two top expected goal-generating players in th