Landing the No. 1 pick and Connor Bedard could change everything for the rebuilding Flyers

While the Flyers have a 6.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick via the draft lottery on Monday, Connor Bedard’s odds of being the No. 1 overall pick are exponentially better than that.

Almost every major media outlet and scouting database, including NHL Central Scouting, has Bedard ranked No. 1 overall in the 2023 NHL draft class. Aa a potential “generational talent,” there’s no question about who the first pick will be on June 28. The only question is: Who will be making it?

» READ MORE: The NHL draft lottery offers the Flyers a rare chance at landing a franchise-altering star

Although the Flyers sank as low as fifth-worst in the standings in March, which would have given them an 8.5% chance at Bedard, they ultimately finished with the seventh-best odds of getting the top overall pick. Anaheim (25.5%) and Columbus (13.5%) boast the best odds at landing No. 1.

According to the new lottery rules that were implemented in 2021, there are now only two draws — one for No. 1 overall, and one for No. 2 overall — and teams can only move up a maximum of 10 places and fall a maximum of two spots. For the Flyers, that means this year they are only eligible for picks No. 1, No. 2, No. 7 (the spot of their finish), No. 8, or No. 9.

Should the Flyers receive a rare lucky bounce of the lottery balls on Monday, they’ll almost definitely be calling Bedard’s name to kick off the draft in Nashville. He would become just the second player to be picked No. 1 by the Flyers after Mel Bridgman in 1975.

In the first of a three-part series looking at the different lottery scenarios for the Flyers, here’s how landing the No. 1 pick and subsequently taking Bedard would impact the franchise’s rebuilding plans:

While Bedard won’t turn 18 until after the draft, that hasn’t stopped him from dominating the rugged Western Hockey League and becoming the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound center has accumulated numerous awards and accolades in his three seasons of junior hockey with the Regina Pats. He became the first 15-year-old to be granted exceptional player status to play in the WHL in 2020 and won the league’s Rookie of the Year award in 2021 despite playing just 15 games during a COVID-19-shortened season.

The native of Vancouver, British Columbia, has continued to live up to the hype as he has gotten older. He has cracked the 100-point mark in each of the last two seasons, stringing together 20-game point streaks in each campaign. This past season, as a 17-year-old, he won the Bob Clarke Trophy as the league’s leading scorer after racking up an eye-popping 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games. In doing so, Bedard became the first WHL player to top 140 points since the 1995-96 season.

Internationally, Bedard has won three gold medals for Canada and has shattered several records along the way. In 2021, he became just the seventh 16-year-old to play for Canada in the World Junior Championships. When he scored four goals against Austria on Dec. 28 of that year, he broke Wayne Gretzky’s record for most goals by a 16-year-old in a World Juniors game. He and Canada eventually won gold at the rescheduled version of the tournament.

Bedard collected another gold at the 2023 World Juniors Championships, winning MVP and breaking the Canadian WJC records for career goals (17) and points (36). He also broke Jaromír Jágr’s tournament record for most points by a player under the age of 18 with 23.

» READ MORE: Ranking the Flyers’ top 10 prospects: Where does Cutter Gauthier fit?

Bedard’s elite skill set earned him the labels “generational talent” and the “future of hockey” as young as age 13. He is probably best known for his shot, which has been compared to Auston Matthews’ and combines a quick release with great accuracy. A true game-breaker, he blends the ability to take on defenders one-on-one, scoring as a set shooter, and playmaking all into one dynamic offensive package.

Bedard also possesses good speed and agility but it is his creativity and skill which separates him from his peers and almost every other young player entering the draft over the last decade. While the one drawback is his size at 5-10, it has not hindered him at any level to this point.

Draft Bedard, and everything changes.

As the Flyers have come to terms with the need for a rebuild, they’ve been clear that they have no definitive timeline and that it will be a long process. The players have said they’ll do their best to speed it up, but ultimately, there’s only so much of a talent gap their hard work can overcome.

With Bedard on the team, the Flyers would finally have a potential star to build around, something they’ve lacked since Claude Giroux’s prime. He’d help shrink the talent problem and likely accelerate the franchise’s timeline for being competitive. Whether he plays center or wing, Bedard will likely play in a top-six role from Day 1. While he may need some time to adjust, he oozes with the high-end skill the team lacks and projects to be a game-breaker in relatively short order. He’d also be a boon for a power play that has finished dead last the last two seasons.

One person can’t do it all in hockey, but the Flyers could feasibly build a supporting cast around Bedard to be competitive quickly. They’ve insisted they won’t go chasing talent at the NHL level and will focus on building up their prospects, but Bedard could alter that philosophy a bit. Assuming he pans out, one would think that top free agents would also be inclined to sign up to play with a young player with so much promise.

With his dynamism, dangerous shot, and playmaking ability, Bedard’s presence would instantly make the Flyers better. He’d draw opponents’ attention, giving players like Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, and Morgan Frost even more room to work.

Bedard would also infuse excitement after what has been a grueling few years. In the WHL, he helped Regina set attendance records even though the team was not a top contender.

He would sell tickets, giving Flyers fans something fun to watch, as well as hope, as the team embarks on its rebuild. The Flyers would go from a struggling franchise with few household names to having a bona fide face of the franchise who could keep people engaged through the hard times and potentially develop into a superstar and franchise cornerstone.

» READ MORE: Stay/Go: Which Flyers should be moved? Which should return?