we miss leo k
Joined: Feb. 2018
Posts: 5,961
Likes: 5,094
This team is still too good to get Bedard, barring some insane lottery luck. They finished 20th overall last year, which got them the 13th pick - no ping pong ball luck, so they stayed at #13 - but the highest they could've moved up was to #3. They'd have to finish 22nd or worse to get the 11th pick and have the lowest shot to move up to #1.
Here are teams #22-32, in order, from last season: San Jose, Anaheim, Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Chicago, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, Arizona, Montreal. I could buy Ottawa passing the Islanders this year maybe, but I honestly think that Sorokin and an upgraded LD depth chart is enough to keep them above the rest of that pack (also wouldn't be surprised to see a few teams ahead of them fall back down a little bit, too).
They're in the mushy middle, one of the worst spots to be. With the way this team is built, I'd rather just run with what's here without trading future assets away and see if they can make a run once they get in the playoffs.