Chances are strong that the other seed will be one of Higuchi or Miyahara (both of whom beat Gabby by 14 points at Worlds), so Gabby may need a little extra help---like Leanna Caron on the Ladies judging panel, or an Amano-like TS to keep others' TES scores in check.
If Kostner decides against doing the GP, then Zagitova becomes 3rd seed and Sotskova, 6th seed. That would increase the odds of Gabby having to face both Zagitova and Medvedeva at her second event.
do you remember worlds 2017, when gabby skated a clean LP without having a sprained ankle ? yeah.. that's what I was thinking. Gabby had a terrible season last year... her only great performances : Nationals and she had pneumonia.. and the LP for the team event. At the beginning of the season she was recuperating from abdominal surgery. If you have had a major surgery in your life, the scar itself can be extremely painful for months.
I commend Gabby for staying at the top despite all the illness and injury and you may disagree with me, fair enough, but I consider her, based on her performance in the LP at the Olympics, a true contender for the GPF. Top 7 in the world, entering as 6t seed? why not? She's been 3rd just a bit over a year ago.
BTW Amano was there at worlds wasn't he??? In any case, Gabby got two carrots there and that was really one of the reasons her score was much lower than usually (of course, the ankle issue also meant she doubled a lutz).... so actually, Amano to me, judges what he sees and if Gabby rotates her jumps, she doesn't get downgrades.. .when she was injured and couldn't have the same power, she got dinged like everyone else.
And finally, if any Canadian judge is on the panel, they will be one of 9 judges.... so please... let's not make such petty accusations