On Guard For Bedard: NHL Draft Lottery Standings
Published
A generational player.
That’s the top prize for NHL futility as the race is on to see which franchise lands Connor Bedard in the most anticipated draft lottery since another Connor - McDavid - went to the Edmonton Oilers eight years ago.
Bedard's unbelievable World Junior tournament fortified what almost everyone in the hockey world already thought – the Regina Pats forward is a super special talent. And while Bedard does not compare directly to other generational players like McDavid, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, there are elements of his game that are reflective of them.
“His hook pass to [Logan] Stankoven [in the WJC gold medal game] and unbelievable hook goal [in the World Juniors versus Austria] – we’ve seen that from Ovechkin,” says TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button. “His grind in and around the net – that’s Sidney Crosby.
“And we talk about the magic, what a display in overtime against Slovakia – that’s what Connor McDavid does. They get you right to the edge of your seat and then they pull you right out of it.”
And one lucky NHL team will get him.
Which one will it be? The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks or Arizona Coyotes? An Anaheim Ducks team that already has young guns Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish? The Canucks would love to bring the North Vancouver native home, while the struggling Montreal Canadiens – who own Florida’s unprotected first-round pick from last year’s Ben Chiarot trade – could have two shots at Bedard if the Panthers finish low enough while missing the post-season.
Check out our daily lottery watch below to see which of the bottom 11 teams in the overall standings have the best chance to land this special player.
Note: Teams are listed by order of points percentage. A team participating in the Draft Lottery can move up only 10 spots in the order if it wins one of the lottery draws, so only the bottom 11 seeds are eligible for the first-overall selection.
Lottery Standings through Jan. 27
| Pos. | Team | GP | PTS | P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 50 | 33 | .330 |
| 2 | Chicago Blackhawks | 48 | 34 | .354 |
| 3 | Anaheim Ducks | 50 | 37 | .370 |
| 4 | Arizona Coyotes | 50 | 38 | .380 |
| 5 | San Jose Sharks | 51 | 41 | .402 |
| 6 | Vancouver Canucks | 49 | 43 | .439 |
| 7 | Montreal Canadiens | 50 | 44 | .440 |
| 8 | St. Louis Blues | 50 | 49 | .490 |
| 9 | Ottawa Senators | 49 | 49 | .500 |
| 10 | Detroit Red WIngs | 48 | 50 | .521 |
| 11 | Philadelphia Flyers | 51 | 51 | .500 |
NHL Lottery Odds from 2022: 1 - 18.5%, 2 - 13.5%, 3 - 11.5%, 4 - 9.5%, 5 - 8.5%, 6 - 7.5%, 7 - 6.5%, 8 – 6.0%, 9 – 5.0%, 10 – 3.5%, 11 – 3.0%