Blackhawks win lottery for No. 1 draft decide, rights to Connor Bedard

The Chicago Blackhawks gained the No. 1 total choice within the 2023 NHL Draft — and the precise to pick out consensus prime prospect Connor Bedard — within the league’s draft lottery on Monday night time

The Blackhawks had the third-worst document within the NHL this season (26-49-7, 59 factors) and, due to this fact, the third-best likelihood to land the highest decide, at 11.5 %. They leapfrogged the Anaheim Geese and Columbus Blue Jackets for the extremely coveted No. 1 decide

The Geese, who entered the night time with a 25.5 % probability of incomes No. 1, as an alternative will decide second. The Blue Jackets will choose third.

Chicago has had the No. 1 draft decide solely as soon as earlier than, and the franchise used it on Patrick Kane, who led the Blackhawks to 3 Stanley Cup titles. The Blackhawks traded Kane to the New York Rangers in the course of the 2022-23 season, however now a brand new period is able to start

A middle, Bedard is taken into account a generational expertise in Canada within the mould of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid.

Bedard, who will flip 18 in July, totaled 143 factors (71 objectives, 72 assists) in 57 regular-season video games for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He added 10 objectives and 10 assists in seven playoff video games.

Over components of three WHL seasons, he averaged a objective and an help per sport — 134 objectives and 137 assists in 134 appearances.

The Vancouver native additionally had 23 factors (9 objectives, 16 assists) in seven video games to steer Canada to a gold medal on the 2023 World Junior Championship.

The 2023 NHL Draft will likely be held in Nashville, Tenn. The primary spherical is June 28, and rounds 2-7 are June 29.

The lottery decided the order of choice for the primary 16 picks within the first spherical, going to the 16 groups that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Ottawa Senators acquired the twelfth total decide, which conveyed to the Arizona Coyotes as a part of the commerce that despatched defenseman Jakob Chychrun to Ottawa.

The order Nos. 1-16 is as follows:

1. Chicago Blackhawks

2. Anaheim Geese

3. Columbus Blue Jackets

4. San Jose Sharks

5. Montreal Canadiens

6. Arizona Coyotes

7. Philadelphia Flyers

8. Washington Capitals

9. Detroit Crimson Wings

10. St. Louis Blues

11. Vancouver Canucks

12. Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa)

13. Buffalo Sabres

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

15. Nashville Predators

16. Calgary Flames

–Subject Degree Media