Which lottery teams could make the playoffs in 2023-24 with Connor Bedard?

This is our final roundtable before Monday’s Connor Bedard Draft lottery. There’s just no way we can discuss anything else in this space. It’s too seismic an event for the NHL.

Previously, we’ve speculated on the “best” landing spot for him. I wrote this week about the most chaotic. This time, I want to ask: Which team makes the playoffs the fastest if it wins the Bedard lottery?

MATT LARKIN: I think it’s the St. Louis Blues. They already have plenty of good young forwards for him to work with in Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jakub Vrana. The Blues also have three first-round picks and could be a candidate to turn a couple of those into a trade for additional immediate help. If they’re able to move out a defenseman’s cap hit in the process, they have a sneaky chance to retool and suddenly surge up the Central Division next season, especially when teams like Nashville and Winnipeg are trending down and Minnesota is hamstrung by its buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.

NICK ALBERGA: I’ll go with the Vancouver Canucks. For starters, he’s a hometown boy, so this storyline would be epic. At any rate, there’s a reason why Bedard has been compared to the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and other generational talents. He’s that damn good! With that in mind, I’m probably in the minority in suggesting the Canucks are not far off. Not only do they currently possess a stud No. 1 goalie and No. 1 ‘D’ but they have some depth up front. You add Bedard to the likes of Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Andrei Kuzmenko and Brock Boeser, and you’re in business. Couple that with a full year of Rick Tocchet and I think that type of roster could do some serious damage. On top of that, taking nothing away from this year’s postseason entrants, but of the four divisions, I still think the Pacific is the weakest. 

MIKE MCKENNA: The St. Louis Blues better revamp their blueline if they want Bedard to be their savior. Even he can’t change the defensive ineptitude of the Blues. I do agree with Nick that the Canucks would instantly get some juice from Bedard and be a threat. But I think the Detroit Red Wings are the team to watch. Yeah, they fizzled out toward the end of the year, but Detroit was in the hunt for most of the season. The Red Wings have a nice core of veteran players and a cast of prospects who continue to develop in real time. Imagine flanking Bedard with David Perron or Dominik Kubalik for the next few years until the young talent is ready. Goaltending is solid with Ville Husso, and I’m really curious to watch the career arc of defenseman Simon Edvinsson. At just 19 years old, he was a stud in the AHL and looked NHL-ready for the upcoming season. But Edvinsson’s recent shoulder surgery might delay his return to the ice until November. In any case, I think Bedard is exactly the piece that GM Steve Yzerman needs to get his team over the hump.

FRANK SERAVALLI: I think the Columbus Blue Jackets would make the playoffs fastest if they landed Bedard. On the DFO Rundown this week, longtime GM and scout Craig Button — of the "Kool Button Hockey Podcast" — predicted Bedard would hit 100 points next season if he’s playing for the Blue Jackets. He also said Patrik Laine would score 50 goals and Johnny Gaudreau would be back above the 100-point plateau. That clinched it for me. If those projections are accurate, or even close to accurate, the Blue Jackets will be in the playoffs next season with even some modicum of goaltending. I could see it, too.

STEVEN ELLIS: I’m standing tall with the Anaheim Ducks. Not everyone will agree, but I think this is a team with one of the most promising young prospect cores in the league. And a few of them might be ready as soon as next season. Plus, they have nearly $40 million in cap space with nobody signed for more than $6.5 million. Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras will take a nice chunk of change each, but there’s still some significant room to sign some quality talent to play alongside Bedard while living in beautiful California.