Gary Bettman and Bill Daly will conduct the two draws for the NHL Draft Lottery. At the NHL studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Assistant Circuit Commissioner will return the winning team’s ticket for the lottery, long nicknamed the Connor Bedard Lottery, at 8 p.m. Monday.
• Also read: NHL Draft: Everything You Need to Know About the Connor Bedard Lottery
• Also read: NHL Draft: The Bedard Jackpot and Nine Other Gems Under the Recruiters’ Magnifier
The draft order for the top 16 picks is then announced. If Bedard finds out his fate on May 8th, he will wait until the draft in Nashville on June 28th to officially begin his adventure in the NHL.
The journal presents the 11 possible targets for the Regina Pats phenomenon.
- Hear NHL draft predictions with TVA Sports reporter Anthony Martineau on Benoit Dutrizac’s show via QUB radio :
1. Anaheim Ducks
With the Ducks, Bedard would end up in Walt Disney Country California. Across Katella Boulevard, where the Honda Center is located, the Los Angeles Angels have the jewel of major league baseball in Shohei Ohtani, outfielder and pitcher. Mike Trout also wears the Angels uniform.
Although Anaheim is a city about 30 minutes from Los Angeles, when there’s no traffic it’s a fairly anonymous market. The Ducks finished the season ranked 29th in the NHL with an average attendance of 14,953. When it came to hockey, Bedard would find Trevor Zegras to be one of the most dynamic and spectacular forwards on the circuit.
2. Columbus blue jackets
There’s Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine and the Blue Jackets cannon. Columbus, a city in Ohio, is neither a big market nor a tourist destination. But contrary to popular belief, it’s a pretty good hockey city in the United States. When the Jackets made the playoffs, there was a festive atmosphere at Nationwide Arena.
In Columbus, collegiate sports are king and champions with the presence of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
3.Chicago Blackhawks
Of the three teams with a greater than 10% chance of winning the lottery, the Blackhawks represent by far the largest market. Gary Bettman would be a lucky man if the Hawks ball came out.
Bedard would arrive like a savior, but he would be very alone in Chicago. The Hawks will have a long rebuild with the departures of the concession’s two strong faces in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Luke Richardson, the Canadian’s former assistant, would have the qualities to properly guide the young prodigy in his NHL debut in his role as head coach.
4. Sharks of San Jose
In the NHL, the Sharks have never finished first overall in a draft since 1991-92. They would love to break the ice with Bedard. Of the three California teams, the Sharks lack the visibility of the Kings but have the most passionate fans. And by far.
William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau are two of the Sharks’ biggest talents, but this franchise desperately needs a big name to get back on track.
5. Montreal Canadiens
There would probably be a parade on Sainte Catherine Street on Monday evening if CH won the lottery. On Wednesday at the University of Montreal’s CEPSUM, Geoff Molson had a pragmatic stance.
“Our odds of winning are 8.5%, so we have to expect not to win,” recalls the hab’s owner. If we win, we would consider ourselves very lucky. Everyone in the province would be happy.”
The Canadian won the lottery with the highest odds percentage last year due to his 32nd overall finish. Juraj Slafkosvky became best in class at the 2022 auction. However, the Slovak has none of the generational talent of Bedard.
Like Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft, Bedard would be called up from a team where hockey is a religion.
6. Arizona coyotes
A dream for hockey survival in Arizona, but a nightmare for fans outside of that state where cacti grow more than ice rinks. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe. It is the smallest amphitheater in the NHL with a seating capacity of 5,000. It’s been written many times, but there’s an NHL team in a building that’s often smaller than one of the QMJHL, the OHL, or the WHL. For comparison, Regina Pats, Bedard’s team, can accommodate 6,000 people in Saskatchewan.
On paper, the Coyotes signed a three-year deal with Mullett Arena. They plan to build a new arena in Tempe. There is still much buzz surrounding these files with a May 16 referendum to gain approval for the $2.3 billion project, which includes a new amphitheater.
7. Philadelphia Flyer
Daniel Brière, the new general manager of the Flyers, shows his colors when he speaks of a reorganization of the organization. In a market where fans lack patience, the arrival of Bedard would be a godsend. For his first steps in the NHL, Bedard would find himself under the orders of John Tortorella. In the last draft, the Flyers relied on American winger Cutter Gauthier. He had a very good season at Boston College with 37 points in 32 games. He does not yet have a contract with the Flyers.
8. Washington Capitals
Alexander Ovechkin will one day become the king of NHL scorers. With 822 goals, Ovechkin is 72 behind Wayne Gretzky’s record (894). If he continues at a rate of 40 goals per season, the Capitals captain should reach that mark in the 2024-2025 season.
The dream scenario would be for him to score his 894th and 895th goals with assists from Bedard. As winners of the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
9.Detroit Red Wings
The wings have a rich history. Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have all worn this uniform. But they are now in the midst of a long rebuild after being out of the playoffs for the past seven seasons.
Bedard would have the chance to play in one of the best arenas in the NHL at Little Caesars Arena, which was built during the 2017-2028 season. With a successful team, the Red Wings are one of the hottest hockey markets in the United States. It’s still “Hockeytown”.
10. St Louis Blues
Wayne Gretzky said so when the Blues won in 2019. In his eyes, St. Louis is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Number 99 was a bit exaggerated. The Blues don’t have a bad hockey team. They traded Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, but they still have some good young strikers in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.
In Missouri, Bedard wouldn’t feel like he was starting from scratch. There’s still talent in this dressing room. However, Doug Armstrong, the architect of this formation, only has a 3.5% chance of drawing the lucky card.
11. Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are the team with the lowest talk percentage in the first round. They are also Bedard’s childhood club. Originally from North Vancouver, he wore the colors of his province’s British Columbia formation. Bedard formed a very dangerous duo with center Elias Pettersson for several seasons. The fifth overall pick of the 2017 draft emerged from the best season of his career with 102 points. On the blue line, Quinn Hughes is one of the best attacking defenders in the league. Rick Tocchet, who replaced Bruce Boudreau during a turbulent campaign this winter in Vancouver, would have some ammunition to revive the Canucks.
◆ (% chance of getting first choice)
◆ All formations excluded from the series take part in the draw. However, a team cannot advance more than 10 ranks. Therefore, only clubs finishing in the last 11 places can hope for a lottery win for Connor Bedard.