Connor Bedard

[JanuaryRains]

I think CBJ would be an interesting spot, I get it, small market, minimal media attention, pretty atrocious team right now but I think out of the tanking teams he'd probably be in the best spot to produce right away.

Gaudreau and Laine as possible linemates? That'd be sweet, offensively at least, defensively probably a disaster. Plenty of young talent as well with Johnson, Sillinger, Jiricek. Werenski hopefully back next year. He'd probably have a better supporting cast to step into compared to other tanking teams.

Anaheim's got great talent too, Zegras, McTavish, Drysdale, Zellweger. Chicago's got Korchinski, Reichel. But I do think CBJ probably is the best landing spot in terms of immediate success.

[Crab]

Originally Posted by irv

I understand what you're saying but with some of these teams owners/staff, they're not the best place for a kid like this, a generational talent.

On the contrary, if he's truly a generational talent, it shouldn't matter what system he ends up in. That's the whole point of someone being labeled as a generational talent.

I highly doubt we look back on Bedard 10+ years from know and say "what could've been...if only he was drafted into a better system"

[jmarascojr]

I think there is a bias to having the "generational talents" end up somewhere on the East coast.

McDavid is McDavid, but it's still tough to stay up and watch him when the games don't start til 1030 EST.
Not sure a lot of people are gonna stay up to watch Duck/Shark/Coyote games just for Bedard...

Looks like whomever brought up regulation wins as the tie breaker is correct.

Anaheim Columbus and Chicago all have 56 points, but Anaheim has 2 less regulation losses than Columbus.

[kingb22]

Columbus with a solid roll-over vs the Devils last night. They must think goal differential is in play

[anusinha]

And with the OT loss, Anaheim totally tanked their tank and ruined their future.

[Crab]

Originally Posted by anusinha

And with the OT loss, Anaheim totally tanked their tank and ruined their future.

Did you forget the team that finishes in 32nd place still has a 75 chance of not getting the first overall pick?

What do you expect the players to do? The majority of them won’t be on the team within a year or two. They don’t care about the draft lottery.

[CanadianKid]

The fact he keeps scoring and dragging the Pats through to a game 7 shows heart. He knows he has nothing to gain yet keeps performing, true teammate.

[ZappBrannigan]

Originally Posted by CanadianKid

The fact he keeps scoring and dragging the Pats through to a game 7 shows heart. He knows he has nothing to gain yet keeps performing, true teammate.

Unlike the bums in Anaheim and Columbus.

[mcwildcats]

Ducks lose another one in OT. Looking more likely now that it will be Columbus or Chicago with the top pick. Still a few to go though.

[jmarascojr]

Remaining Schedule
Chicago (56 pts) - Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Philly
Columbus (56 pts) - Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalo

I think I'm gonna give the edge to Chicago, even with more regulation wins right now..

Minnesota and Pittsburgh are still playing meaningful hockey, Philly and Buffalo, not so much...

I say Chicago goes 1-2 (beat Philly) and Columbus goes 2-1 (beat Philly and Buffalo)

[kellmuff]

think about how bad of a GM John Paxton is in Regina

[kingb22]

Originally Posted by jmarascojr

Remaining Schedule
Chicago (56 pts) - Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Philly
Columbus (56 pts) - Philly, Pittsburgh, Buffalo

I think I'm gonna give the edge to Chicago, even with more regulation wins right now..

Minnesota and Pittsburgh are still playing meaningful hockey, Philly and Buffalo, not so much...

I say Chicago goes 1-2 (beat Philly) and Columbus goes 2-1 (beat Philly and Buffalo)

If that's the case and Anaheim goes 0-2 against Vancouver and LA, wouldn't they "win" last place given their 13 regulation wins?

[ZappBrannigan]

Originally Posted by kellmuff

think about how bad of a GM John Paxton is in Regina

It's Paddock. What did he do.

[ZappBrannigan]

Originally Posted by kingb22

If that's the case and Anaheim goes 0-2 against Vancouver and LA, wouldn't they "win" last place given their 13 regulation wins?

If Mctavish keeps playing they will lose both.

[oldgoldy97]

The draft simulator picked Columbus twice, Vancouver three times, Chicago once, the. I stopped.

[bp06km13]

Originally Posted by ZappBrannigan

Unlike the bums in Anaheim and Columbus.

Weren't they up 3-0 and then allowed SAS to come back 3 straight games to force a game 7? A tad concerning imo when "killer instinct" (re: Kobe Bryant) is factored in.

[cbeauch87]

Originally Posted by bp06km13

Weren't they up 3-0 and then allowed SAS to come back 3 straight games to force a game 7? A tad concerning imo when "killer instinct" (re: Kobe Bryant) is factored in.

Regina was up 2-0 then lost three straight.

[CanadianKid]

Its the 42 Leafs all over again.

[kellmuff]

Originally Posted by ZappBrannigan

It's Paddock. What did he do.

he's had the best player in the CHL the last two years and failed to surround him with the talent necessary to be a contender. They were barely a playoff team and still lost a series that he had 20 points in.

[cbeauch87]

Originally Posted by kellmuff

he's had the best player in the CHL the last two years and failed to surround him with the talent necessary to be a contender. They were barely a playoff team and still lost a series that he had 20 points in.

Regina was not a good place for Bedard to go. The Pats made it to the WHL finals in 2017 and then hosted the Memorial Cup in 2018. They sold the farm for those two seasons and didn't have enough time to recoup assets to surround Bedard with a good team.

The other two teams in the lottery that could have gotten Bedard were Moose Jaw and Tri-City. Either one of those would have been a better landing spot to give Bedard a better supporting cast.

Combine all this with the fact that the cost to buy players at the WHL trade deadline this year was unlike anything the league has ever seen, and it's tough to solely blame Paddock for this.

[kellmuff]

Originally Posted by cbeauch87

Combine all this with the fact that the cost to buy players at the WHL trade deadline this year was unlike anything the league has ever seen, and it's tough to solely blame Paddock for this.

They knew Bedard would be a generational talent two years ago during the COVID run he had to start his career. Not buying that they couldnt have done more to surround him with better players tbh

[cbeauch87]

Originally Posted by kellmuff

They knew Bedard would be a generational talent two years ago during the COVID run he had to start his career. Not buying that they couldnt have done more to surround him with better players tbh

They tried. They traded a 1st round pick for Zack Stringer, who spent half his Pats career on the injured list. They brought over Stanislav Svozil who was incredible. They tried to convince Matthew Wood, Daniil Gushcin and Michael Hrabel to come, couldn't do it. They got Suzdalev to come over who was incredible.

But they didn't have the assets to add this year. Their 2023 1st went to Kamloops in exchange for the Blazers 2021 1st where they drafted Jaxsin Vaughan.

They got Tanner Brown for a 2023 5th and 2024 4th, good trade. Their 2023 3rd rounder was traded 3 years ago. They traded a 2023 2nd, 2024 1st and 2025 3rd to Seattle for Sam Oremba, a 2005-born Regina product. That was not a good trade, but at least they get a guy who will be there for 3 more years.

You see the prices top-end players were going for. Zellweger garnered four 1st-rounders plus a boatload of other picks and players. Zack Ostapchuk for three 1sts. Regina simply couldn't compete with that.

And I'm not a Pats fan. I work for another WHL team for gods sake. But the reality of the situation is Regina was a bad place for Bedard to go to, strictly from a results perspective. Everyone knew they had nothing left at that point. Unfortunate that his WHL career saw him play 7 playoff games and nothing more.

[CanadianKid]

How much relief does Anaheim Columbus and Chicago feel now lol

[anusinha]

Lol, Chicago beat the Penguins and Columbust gets an OT point, no one wants the best odds.

[mcwildcats]

Originally Posted by anusinha

Lol, Chicago beat the Penguins and Columbust gets an OT point, no one wants the best odds.

Let's see what the Ducks do now. They really need a loss to stay in the hunt with only one game left for them after tonight.