NHL Draft Lottery set for tonight with post show to follow on TSN.ca
Published
Regina Pats star Connor Bedard will know where his National Hockey League career will begin as the NHL Draft Lottery takes centre stage Monday night.
Touted as a generational talent, Bedard led the Canadian Hockey League in scoring with 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games. The North Vancouver, B.C., native electrified on the international stage as well during the 2023 World Junior Hockey Championship, setting a record for most points by a Canada player at the tournament with 23.
Once his name is called, Bedard will become the first WHL player to be selected first overall since Red Deer Rebels product Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in 2011.
The lottery will determine the top 16 picks in of the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft, with all non-playoff teams being eligible to move up, though only 11 teams have a shot at Bedard.
The NHL altered the format for the draft lottery in 2021. The most notable change was that teams can only move up 10 spots in the lottery process,
The Anaheim Ducks have the best odds to land Bedard with a 25.5 per cent chance, as their 58 points in 82 games yielded a an NHL-worst .354 win percentage.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (13.5 per cent) and Chicago Blackhawks (11.5 per cent) have the second and third-highest odds.
The Montreal Canadians, who finished the 2022-23 season with 68 points, have an 8.5 per cent chance to land the franchise-altering prospect, while the Vancouver Canucks have a 3.0 per cent chance.
Final Lottery Standings
| Pos. | Team | GP | PTS | Lottery Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaheim Ducks | 82 | 58 | 25.5% |
| 2 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 82 | 59 | 13.5% |
| 3 | Chicago Blackhawks | 82 | 59 | 11.5% |
| 4 | San Jose Sharks | 82 | 60 | 9.5% |
| 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 68 | 8.5% |
| 6 | Arizona Coyotes | 82 | 70 | 7.5% |
| 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 82 | 75 | 6.5% |
| 8 | Detroit Red Wings | 82 | 80 | 6.0% |
| 9 | Washington Capitals | 82 | 80 | 5.0% |
| 10 | St. Louis Blues | 82 | 81 | 3.5% |
| 11 | Vancouver Canucks | 82 | 83 | 3.0% |
While Bedard is the consensus No. 1 pick, TSN's Bob McKenzie outlines in his lottery edition rankings that this year's draft class is loaded with consolation prizes such as Canadian centre Adam Fantilli, Under-18 National Team Development Program centre Will Smith, Swedish centre Leo Carlsson, and Russian winger Matvei Michkov up for grabs.
Fantilli, a native of Nobleton, Ont., was named the 2023 Hobey Baker Award winner after leading the University of Michigan in points with 30 goals and 35 assists. Fantilli captured a gold medal alongside Bedard at the 2023 World Juniors, scoring two goals and five points in seven games.
The 2023 NHL Draft takes place June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.