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How to watch the Connor Bedard show, or as others call it, the 2023 NHL Draft lottery
The next decade of the NHL could be determined tonight, courtesy of 14 pingpong balls.
The 2023 NHL Draft lottery is set for tonight, live from the NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. 16 teams are entered in the lottery, and the lottery will determine the order for the first 16 selections in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 16 teams participating in the lottery are the 16 teams that failed to qualify for this season’s playoffs, or teams that acquired a first-round selection from a non-playoff team.
Another detail of note is a change the league made to the draft lottery in March of 2021. The most spots a team can “move up” in the lottery is ten, so only the 11 teams with the best odds in the lottery have a chance at the first-overall selection.
What are the odds?
Here are the teams participating in the 2023 NHL Draft lottery, with their chances at securing the first-overall selection listed:
1. Anaheim Ducks: 18.5%
2. Columbus Blue Jackets: 13.5%
3. Chicago Blackhawks: 11.5%
4. San Jose Sharks: 9.5%
5. Montreal Canadiens: 8.5%
6. Arizona Coyotes: 7.5%
7. Philadelphia Flyers: 6.5%
8. Washington Capitals: 6%
9. Detroit Red Wings: 5%
10. St. Louis Blues: 3.5%
11. Vancouver Canucks: 3%
12. Ottawa Senators: 2.5%
13. Buffalo Sabres: 2%
14. Pittsburgh Penguins: 1.5%
15. Calgary Flames: 0.5%
16. Nashville Predators: 0.5%
That first tier of teams has a chance to secure the first-overall selection. Ottawa, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Calgary, and Nashville can only move up ten spots, and therefore even if they win the lottery, they will not get to the first-overall selection.
If one of those teams wins the lottery on Monday night, they will move up accordingly and the team with the worst record — Anaheim — slots in at the No. 1 selection. (Therefore Anaheim’s odds of the first-overall pick are actually higher than the 18.5% given this rule).
In the event one of the second tier teams wins the lottery, they will move up accordingly, Anaheim slots in at No. 1, and there will be a second draw to determine the next available spot in the draft.
There will be two lottery drawings, one for the No. 1 pick and one for the No. 2 pick.
How can I watch?
The NHL Network is providing live coverage starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the lottery set to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET. ESPN will also cover the lottery live starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.
You can also stream the lottery on ESPN+.
When is the draft?
The 2023 NHL Draft is set to take place on June 28–29, 2023, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to the draft itself, the 2023 NHL Scouting Combine, showcasing the top draft-eligible prospects, will be held from June 4-10 at KeyBank Center and LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York.
Who are the top prospects?
This is really the Connor Bedard section.
The 17-year-old center with Regina of the Western Hockey League is widely considered the top prospect in the draft, and a generational prospect. The center has a number of elite traits, from his vision on the ice to his movement skills, but what truly stands out is his shot. That trait has caught the eyes of not just scouts, but current NHL players.
“It’s remarkable to see,” said Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, who skated with Bedard a few times over the summer and is considered one of the elite players in the league. “He shoots it so hard and with such a quick release.”
Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon elaborated on this trait: “His release is one of the best in the world now … at 17.”
Just read this glowing review of Bedard’s game from The Hockey Writers:
“Connor Bedard is going to be a special player in the NHL sooner rather than later and any team that lands the first overall pick this year is going to be absolutely ecstatic. He has such an incredible wrist-shot that you could drop him in the NHL this year and he’d feast. Bedard’s wrist shot will be one of the absolute best shots in the NHL from the moment he arrives (at least top-five), with the power and deception to make professional goalies tremble in their creases.”
That certainly sounds like a generational talent who could change the course of the league for the next few years, if not longer.
Of course, there is more than one draft-eligible prospect in this class. Michigan center Adam Fantilli and KHL Matvei Michkov are both more than just consolation prizes for the teams that miss out on Bedard. Fantilli became just the third freshman to win the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in all of college hockey. The other two to accomplish that feat? Paul Kariya in 1993 and Jack Eichel in 2015.
Michkov has seen his draft stock rise and fall over the past few months. He too was labeled a generational talent, but then a hit he took in the Sochi Hockey Open last August saw his KHL season get off to a slow start. He was sent to play in the VHL, but from there his season began to turn around.
Other players to watch include centers Dalibor Dvorsky, Zach Benson, and Brayden Yager, and defenseman Cameron Allen.
But make no mistake. This is the Connor Bedard show.
