
The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery has come and gone, and we now know what team will be picking at the top of the order. This lottery was highly anticipated as the team that won the lottery would have the chance to draft Connor Bedard.
Most people are starting to look ahead at NFL odds now that the 2023 schedule has come out, but that’s not the case in Chicago. That’s because the Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, and will get to select a superstar with the number one overall draft pick.
The Blackhawks came into the lottery night with the third-best odds to win the number one overall pick, but they were the team that got lucky with the ping-pong balls. Chicago could have actually fallen all the way down to the number five spot, but luck was on their side.
Many NHL fans believed that the lottery was rigged this year, but that was mainly because the selection show turned out to be a disaster. Picks were leaked before an official announcement from the league, but the actual selecting of the ping pong balls was done the correct way.
Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has all but confirmed that the team will be selecting Bedard with the number one pick, and it would be a shock if they went elsewhere. There are some other superstar prospects at the top of this draft class, but everyone agrees that Bedard is the best.
The Anaheim Ducks will be picking second in the 2023 NHL Draft, but that’s a pretty lame consolation prize for the franchise. The Columbus Blue Jackets have earned the right to pick third in the 2023 NHL Draft, and falling out of the top two was a disaster for that team.
The rest of the top 10 in the 2023 NHL Draft looks like this:
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- San Jose Sharks
- Montreal Canadiens
- Arizona Coyotes
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Washington Capitals
- Detroit Red Wings
- St. Louis Blues
There are actually several teams set to pick in the top 10 of the 2023 NHL Draft that have won a Stanley Cup title recently. Only a handful of teams actually attempted to tank this year as it was just a bad year for the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues.
Bedard Could Be a Legend
Connor Bedard is a 17-year-old prospect from Canada, and there is already a ton of hype surrounding him. Bedard has been playing against other professional players for the last few years, and he has put up ridiculous stats at every single stop.
NHL experts have compared Bedard to players such as Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews, and both of those players have gone on to be stars in the NHL. There are some questions about the size of Bedard, but he definitely has all of the skill that is needed.
Several teams spent the last few seasons putting themselves in a position to draft Bedard, but the Blackhawks were the only team lucky enough to get that done. Adam Fantilli is expected to be the number two overall pick in the NHL Draft, and he is good enough to be the top pick in most years.
There have already been several media and sports outlets that have made projections for what Bedard will do during his career, and they are eye-popping. Fans of the Blackhawks hope that Bedard remains with the team for his entire career, and you should expect Chicago to try and sign him to an extension at all costs.
There is no doubt that the fans in Chicago are going to fall in love with Bedard, and he is going to provide plenty of hope to a franchise that has fallen on hard times. The expectations are high
Blackhawks Went All In
It’s been a rough few seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks, but they have always been on the fringe of making the NHL Playoffs. That wasn’t the case this season, as Davidson made sure that the Blackhawks were one of the worst teams in the league.
Davidson started trading away talented players before the start of the 2022-23 season, and he continued that throughout the year. The final blow was trading away Patrick Kane, and the team is moving on from Jonathan Toews as well.
The Blackhawks tried to have the worst record in the NHL this season, but they weren’t able to get that done. This team still got rewarded for tanking, and they got one of the best prizes in league history.
Things haven’t always gone well for the Blackhawks in the last few years as this team was also rocked by a sexual abuse scandal that dates back to the championship days. That was one reason that several members of the organization lost their jobs, but this new regime was able to luck into a perfect situation.
A New Dynasty?
The Chicago Blackhawks were absolutely dominant from 2008-2015, as they went on to win three Stanley Cup championships during that time. What made it even more impressive for the Blackhawks was that they were able to get the job done during a time when it was hard to navigate the salary cap restrictions.
That team had a core of future Hall of Fame players that was led by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. There is hope that Bedard will be the centerpiece of the next dynasty in Chicago, and many are predicting that it will be the case.
Chicago has so many draft picks in 2023 and beyond, and they will be able to surround Bedard with plenty of talented players. Teams can make a jump pretty quick when it comes to the NHL, but it does take a superstar to get this done.
The Blackhawks are not expected to be competitive in 2023-24, but this is a team that could make a run at winning another title or two before very long. Don’t be surprised to hear “Chelsea Dagger” during the Stanley Cup Playoffs again before long.