Chicago wins Connor Bedard sweepstakes, capturing No. 1 pick in NHL draft lottery | CBC Sports

Chicago have won the NHL draft lottery and the right to select Connor Bedard with the first pick, parlaying one of their worst seasons in decades into a potentially franchise-altering player.

It’s the second time Chicago have won the lottery in the past two decades, and the previous victory in 2007 netted them Patrick Kane, who helped them win the Stanley Cup three times between 2010 and 2015. Bedard can now step into the void filled by the departures of Kane and longtime captain Jonathan Toews and become the new face of the Original Six organization.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly unveiled a placard featuring Chicago’s logo Monday night, signifying they had gotten the No. 1 pick. Chicago had the third-highest odds of winning the lottery at 11.5 per cent, behind Anaheim’s 25.5 per cent and Columbus’ 13.5 per cent.

“I think I just said, `Wow’ because you understand the impact that a first overall pick can have — and having a first overall pick in the right year,” Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson said at a news conference in Chicago. “Hopefully that’s what we’ve got here. It can change a franchise, it can change a city and it can change an era in a team’s history. There’s a lot of weight to that and lot of significance to that.”

Montreal, which had an 8.5 per cent chance of landing the top pick, will have the highest selection of any Canadian team in this year’s draft, to be held June 28 and 29 in Nashville.

WATCH | Chicago leaps 2 spots to win NHL draft lottery:

Chicago captures 1st overall pick at NHL draft lottery

Chicago will have the first overall pick at the 2023 NHL draft after winning the draft lottery Monday night in Secaucus, N.J.

The Vancouver Canucks (11th) and the Calgary Flames (16th) round out the Canadian teams who will select in the top 16. The Ottawa Senators will send their 12th-overall pick to the Arizona Coyotes after trading their first-round pick to Arizona for defenceman Jakob Chychrun at the NHL trade deadline in March.

League-worst Anaheim won the lottery for the second pick and will get to choose among a trio of talented forwards: Canadian Adam Fantilli, Russian Matvei Michkov and Swede Leo Carlsson.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was waiting for Daly to “turn the card.”

“Let’s kill the suspense here and get after it,” Verbeek said on a Zoom call. “So they turned the card, and we ended up picking 2. I’m excited.”

Columbus is set to pick third, continuing the Blue Jackets’ run of lottery losing. GM Jarmo Kekalainen said an on-air slip up revealing his team was picking third “spoiled the moment.”

“We’re going to get a great player at 3, there’s no question about it in my mind,” Kekalainen said on a video call with reporters. “Everyone wants to win the lottery, then everything is your control, and obviously everybody’s talked about a special player at the top of the rankings. But we’re confident that we’re going to get a big difference maker at 3.”

Long-time presumptive 2023 top pick

Bedard has been the presumptive top pick in the 2023 draft for several years, considered the best prospect available since Connor McDavid eight years ago and making this lottery nearly as anticipated as that or the drawing in 2005 for Sidney Crosby.

The native of North Vancouver, B.C., led all junior players across Canada with 72 goals and 143 points this past season while playing for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He doesn’t turn 18 until July.

In a pre-taped TV interview that aired on ESPN, Bedard said of his future being determined: “There’s different emotions watching, but I think we’re all just watching as fans. … It’s more for the teams.”

Chicago decided last year to bottom out and plunge into a long-term rebuild, trading star forwards Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach despite each being under 25. The strategy worked: Chicago lost 56 of 82 games to set up a chance at Bedard.

Order of selection:

• 1. Chicago (11.5 per cent)
• 2. Anaheim Ducks (18.5 per cent)
• 3. Columbus Blue Jackets (13.5 per cent)
• 4. San Jose Sharks (9.5 per cent)
• 5. Montreal Canadiens (8.5 per cent)
• 6, Arizona Coyotes (7.5 per cent)
• 7. Philadelphia Flyers (6.5 per cent)
• 8. Washington Capitals (6.0 per cent)
• 9. Detroit Red Wings (5.0 per cent)
• 10. St. Louis Blues (3.5 per cent)
• 11. Vancouver Canucks (3.0 per cent)
• 12. Arizona Coyotes* (from Ottawa Senators, 2.5 per cent)
• 13. Buffalo Sabres (2.0 per cent)
• 14. Pittsburgh Penguins (1.5 per cent)
• 15. Nashville Predators (0.5 per cent)
• 16. Calgary Flames (0.5 per cent)

* — as an element of a March 21, 2023 trade, Ottawa transfers their first-round pick in the 2023 Draft to Arizona.