I only say this because, well, the Coilers have proven that landing a 'generational player' means nothing if your overall team management is useless. It's no guarantee for success.
And I agree, if our odds don't win the favour of the hockey gods, it's not who I want #1 going to, it's who do I NOT want it going to. Chi/AZ/Mtl/StL/Phi/Ott can stuff it - CBJ, SJ, ANA, who cares about them, Bedard would toil in complete anonymity in those places and it wouldn't really change anything.