By Scott Powers, Mark Lazerus and Corey Pronman
The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL draft lottery on Monday, giving them the opportunity to pick strong contender Connor Bedard for first pick. Here’s what you need to know:
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does this mean for Blackhawks rebuilding?
It certainly speeds up the plan. Bedard won’t solve all of the Blackhawks’ problems and make them overnight contenders for the Stanley Cup, but he can certainly get them there faster. General Manager Kyle Davidson will think differently about the coming years. He will immediately start bringing more talent to Bedard next season. You’ll want him to play with high-end players. This free agent class isn’t amazing, but there are a few players who have played with star players in the past, and it will be that kind of talent that Davidson wants to bring around Bedard. Lukas Reichel may not be No. 1 in the organization anymore, but he’ll be fine with it. Reichel and Bedard could be a dangerous duo for the next decade. — Powers
So was this season’s tank worth it?
Of course, right? The Blackhawks may have screwed up a bit this season by winning too much, but they would still get a starting talent with a top-five pick. Bedard was obviously her dream all along and it came true. — Powers
Where will Bedard fit into the lineup?
He’ll immediately become Chicago’s No. 1 center and could make a dynamic duo with 2020 first-round pick Reichel, who has 15 points in 23 games as the primary left winger this season. The question is: who is playing on the right side of this line? The free agent pool is relatively weak this summer, but Chicago immediately becomes a more attractive destination due to the opportunity to play with Bedard. A well-known veteran like Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou or Taylor Raddysh could fill that spot, but the arrival of Bedard dramatically speeds up the process and means the free hand has become far more interesting. — Lacerus
What it means off the ice
On Monday night, the Blackhawks team store had a half-dozen Patrick Kane jerseys and a handful of Jonathan Toews jerseys hanging in the window along with a lone Seth Jones Shirsey. Expect many No.98 kits to take over this summer once the election is official. With the Blackhawks trading Kane and telling Toews he wouldn’t be offered a new contract, Chicago is fortunate to have an immediate replacement to face the franchise. Jersey sales will increase, ticket sales will increase, national televised matches will increase. The Blackhawks are hoping Bedard will be the leader of their turn on the ice. They know he will be the leader of their off-ice turnaround. — Lacerus
Scouting report on Bedard
Bedard is a #1 prospect for franchise transitions. His skill and shot are truly groundbreaking attributes. His ability to beat defenders one-on-one is among the best I’ve seen in a 17-year-old and the pace at which he’s showing these elite skills will allow him to pull off these kinds of skillful plays the NHL. Bedard is a very imaginative puck driver and a very creative passer. That, combined with the fact that his wrist shot is a prime NHL weapon from anywhere in the offensive zone, makes him a predicted nightmare for NHL coaches when they stop in the power play.
GO DEEPER
2023 NHL Draft: No. 1 Connor Bedard, Will Smith rises in Corey Pronman’s latest pick
The only downside to his game is his physique, which has some scouts wondering if he’ll be relegated to the wing in the NHL. However, he is not a pushover as he plays hard and has a physical advantage in his game. Given his success as a junior center, strong skating artistry and high level of competition, I think anyone who pulls him in needs to try him in the middle and switch to the wing if it doesn’t work. If he’s a winger, he could still have a potential impact on a franchise. — Pronmann
backstory
The Ducks, who finished with the league’s worst record, entered Monday’s lottery and had the best chance of finishing No. 1 at 25.5 percent. The Blue Jackets (13.5 percent) were next, followed by the Blackhawks (11.5), Sharks (9.5), and Canadiens (8.5).
Teams could jump 10 spots up in the lottery but not fall back more than two spots, meaning the 11 teams that finished at the bottom of the standings had a chance to pick number 1. Teams that placed 12th through 16th overall were unable to get to No. 1 via the lottery. If any of those five teams had won, they would have moved up 10 places in the order and Anaheim would have been automatically declared the winner.
Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov and Leo Carlsson are the unanimous top four picks in the 2023 draft.
required reading
(Photo: Larry MacDougal/AP)