Gary Bettman and Bill Daly will do the two draws for the NHL Draft Lottery. At the NHL studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, Monday at 8 p.m., the circuit’s assistant commissioner will return the card of the winning team for the lottery that has long been nicknamed the Connor Bedard lottery.
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The draft order for the top 16 picks will then be revealed. If Bedard will know his fate on May 8, he will wait until June 28 during the draft in Nashville to officially begin his adventure in the NHL.
The newspaper introduces you to the 11 possible destinations for the Regina Pats phenomenon.
- Listen to the NHL Draft predictions with Anthony Martineau, TVA Sport reporter on Benoit Dutrizac’s show via QUB-radio :
1. Anaheim Ducks
With the Ducks, Bedard would end up in Walt Disney Country California. On the other side of Katella Boulevard, where we find the Honda Center, the Los Angeles Angels have the jewel of major league baseball with outfielder and pitcher, Shohei Ohtani. Mike Trout also dons the Angels uniform.
Even though Anaheim is a city located about thirty minutes from Los Angeles, when there is no traffic, it is a fairly anonymous market. The Ducks finished the season at 29e ranks the NHL for average attendance at 14,953 spectators. In terms of hockey, Bedard would find one of the most dynamic and spectacular forwards on the circuit in Trevor Zegras.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets
There is Johnny Gaudreau, Patrik Laine and the cannon of the Blue Jackets. A city in Ohio, Columbus is not a big market or a tourist destination. But contrary to popular belief, it’s a pretty good hockey town in the United States. When the Jackets reached the playoffs, there was a festive atmosphere at Nationwide Arena.
In Columbus, college sports are king and master 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 biggest market. Gary Bettman would be a happy man if the Hawks ball were to come out.
Bedard would arrive like a savior, but he would be very much alone in Chicago. The Hawks will live a long reconstruction with the departures of the two strong faces of this concession in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Luke Richardson, the former assistant with the Canadian, would have the qualities to properly guide the young prodigy on his debut in the NHL in his role as head coach.
4. San Jose Sharks
In the NHL since 1991-92, the Sharks have never spoken first overall in a draft. They would be happy to break the ice with Bedard. Of the three California teams, the Sharks lack the visibility of the Kings, but they have the most passionate fans. And by far.
William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau are two of the Sharks’ brightest prospects, but this franchise badly 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 the CH wins the lottery. Wednesday at the CEPSUM of the University of Montreal, Geoff Molson had a pragmatic attitude.
“Our chances of winning are 8.5%, so we have to expect not to win, recalled the owner of the Habs. If we win, we would be very lucky. Everyone in the province would be happy.”
The Canadian won the lottery last year by having the highest percentage of chances due to his 32nd place overall. Juraj Slafkosvky became the top of the class in the 2022 auction. However, the Slovak has nothing of a generational talent like Bedard.
Like Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft, Bedard would be called by a team where hockey is a religion.
6. Arizona Coyotes
A dream for the survival of hockey in Arizona, but a nightmare for fans outside this state where cacti grow more than rinks. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe. It is the smallest amphitheater in the NHL with a capacity of 5000 seats. It has often been written, but there is therefore an NHL team in a building that is often smaller than one of the QMJHL, the OHL or the WHL. By comparison, the Regina Pats, Bedard’s team, can host 6,000 people in Saskatchewan.
On paper, the Coyotes signed a three-year lease with Mullett Arena. They plan to build a new arena in Tempe. There’s still a lot of scrambling on this file with a referendum on May 16 to get approval for the US$2.3 billion project that includes a new amphitheater.
7. Philadelphia Flyers
Daniel Brière, the new general manager of the Flyers, displayed his colors when speaking of a reconstruction for the organization. In a market where supporters do not have great 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 bet 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 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record (894). If he continues with a rate of 40 goals per season, the captain of the Capitals should reach this mark in the 2024-2025 campaign.
The dream scenario would be to see him score his 894e and 895e goals on passes from Bedard. Winner of the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Capitals missed the playoffs this season 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, having been out of the playoffs for the past seven seasons.
Bedard would have the chance to play in one of the NHL’s finest arenas at Little Caesars Arena, which came into existence during the 2017-2028 campaign. With a winning 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 it 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 forwards in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.
In Missouri, Bedard wouldn’t feel like he was starting from scratch. There is still talent in this locker room. Doug Armstrong, the architect of this formation, however, has just a 3.5% chance of drawing the lucky card.
11. Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are the team with the lowest first-round talking percentage. They are also Bedard’s childhood club. Originally from North Vancouver, he would wear the colors of the formation of his province, British Columbia. Bedard would form a very dangerous duo for several seasons with center Elias Pettersson. The fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft is coming off the best season of his career with 102 points. On the blue line, Quinn Hughes is one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. Rick Tocchet, who replaced Bruce Boudreau during a tumultuous campaign this winter in Vancouver, would have several ammunition to revive the Canucks.
◆ (% chance of getting first choice)
◆ All formations excluded from the series participate in the lottery. However, a team cannot climb more than 10 ranks. Therefore, only clubs that finished in the last 11 places can hope to win the lottery for Connor Bedard.