A prospect like that turns around most franchises, but it is amazing how much it would turn around this franchise. I'd immediately feel great about our center group through 2031. I'd feel great about a 2023/24 winger group of Buch, Kyrou, Saad, Kap, Vrana, to support the Thomas/Bedard/Schenn top 9 center group. I'd be satisfied with Neighbours/Blais/Torpo/Alexandrov competing for the 9th forward spot and impact 4th line spots. And a trio of non-NHL forward prospects of Snuggy, Bolduc, and Dean would make me confident that we could fill in those top 9 wing spots in the future as guys like Kap, Vrana, Buch, Saad, and Schenn price or play themselves themselves off the roster.
Suddenly I would view every other pick we own in this draft as fully expendable toward the goal of retooling the defense. As would all remaining cap space. We'd have roughly $4M to fill 3 roster spots before moving any existing D once you account for Bedard and Hofer's addition to the roster. Not a ton of space, but enough to fit in a legitimately good D man if we also move out any of the 5 well-paid guys.
Bedard is an absolute dream, but I would very much settle for a secondary lottery win that gets us Fantilli or Carlsson. Adding an NHL-ready center with short-term top 6 upside on an ELC would solidify a pretty damn good forward group and lets us heave assets at the blue line.