The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery is on Monday night - and fans will find out which franchise is set to earn the chance to select phenomenal talent Connor Bedard.
Bedard is a certainty to be the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft this summer. The 17-year-old is one of the most hyped prospects in history, with excitement for his arrival in the league even eclipsing that of two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner Connor McDavid in 2015.
Bedard is already being anointed as the next generational player set to change the game in the mould of McDavid and Wayne Gretzky. He played for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, leading the WHL with 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists) in 57 games across the 2022/23 season.
His Pats eventually crashed out in the first round of the WHL playoffs, but Bedard became the first WHL player since 2012 to score at least 10 goals in a playoff series. He is undoubtedly excited to discover his destination in the NHL, saying: “It'd be awesome if I went No. 1, but I think whether you get drafted first or whatever round, it's a dream come true, and if I if I get that honour it'd be unreal.
“I’d be super grateful to the people who have helped me with that. But for me, it's just kind of focusing on what I can do now to improve myself as a player. It'd be unbelievable to go No. 1, but we'll see what happens obviously.”
Monday’s lottery will determine the order for the first 16 picks of the 2023 draft - with the first round scheduled to be held on 28 June in Nashville - for the franchises that failed to qualify for the Stanley Club Playoffs. There will be two lottery drawings, one for the first overall pick and one for the second.
Teams only can move up 10 selections if it wins one of the lottery draws, so only the top 11 teams in the lottery are eligible to win the No. 1 selection in the 2023 draft. Once the first two picks have been established, the remaining teams will be assigned picks three to 16 based on inverse order of the final regular season standings.
The Anaheim Ducks, who finished last in the NHL standings with a 23-47-12 record, have the best odds of securing the No. 1 pick at 18.5 percent. The Columbus Blue Jackets (25-48-9) will have the second-best odds at 13.5 percent, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks (26-49-7) at 11.5 percent.
The arrival of Bedard, who helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in January, in the NHL is hotly anticipated. When he was just 13 years of age in 2018, the Vancouver-native was compared to Sidney Crosby and McDavid before he began competing at U18 level while aged 14. Despite competing against players with years more experience and size, Bedard continued to dominate as he led the league in goals, points and won MVP again.
Bedard was granted ‘exceptional status’ by Hockey Canada to allow him to compete in the WHL a year before he would usually have been allowed - and he tallied 28 points in 15 games. In the 2021/22 WHL season, Bedard scored 51 goals, recorded 49 assists and finished second in the league in points.
He made his international debut in 2021 and sensationally broke Wayne Gretzky’s record by scoring four goals against Austria. It was the most goals ever scored by a 16-year-old at international level.
Ultimately, Bedard is ready to play in the NHL immediately and there is nothing beyond his ability when he is on the ice. He is an elite facilitator showcasing impressive poise while waiting for a passing lane while the incredible combination of accuracy and power in his wrist shot almost beggars belief.
Last year, the Montreal Canadiens won the 2022 draft lottery and selected forward Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick. The Ducks, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and many more will be looking to win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday in order to select Bedard.
