By Scott Powers, Mark Lazerus and Corey Pronman
The Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, giving them the chance to select star prospect Connor Bedard with the No. 1. Here’s what you need to know:
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What does this mean for the rebuilding Blackhawks?
It certainly accelerates the plan. Bedard isn’t going to fix all of the Blackhawks’ issues and turn them into Stanley Cup contenders overnight, but he can certainly get them going faster. General manager Kyle Davidson will think differently about the coming years. He will immediately begin looking to put more talent around Bedard next season. They want him to play with high-end players.
This free-agent class isn’t spectacular, but there are some players who have played with star players in the past and this is the type of talent Davidson wants to put around Bedard. Lukas Reichel may no longer be the No. 1 forward prospect in the organization, but he’ll be fine in that regard. Reichel and Bedard could be a dangerous duo for the next decade. — Powers
DEEP
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Did it make this season’s tank worth it?
Of course, right? The Blackhawks could be in some kind of trouble this season by winning too much, but they’ll be getting a star talent regardless of a top-five pick. Bedard was obviously their dream all along and it came true. — Powers
Where will Bedard go in the lineup?
He immediately became No. 1 center by Chicago and could form a dynamic duo with 2020 first-round pick Reichel, who has 15 points in 23 games as the primary left wing this season. The question is: Who plays on the right side of that line? The free-agent pool was relatively thin this summer, but Chicago immediately became a more attractive destination because of the opportunity to play with Bedard.
A familiar veteran like Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou or Taylor Raddysh could take that spot, but Bedard’s arrival speeds up the process and means free agency just got a little more interesting. — Lazerus
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What does this mean off the ice?
On Monday night, the Blackhawks team store had half a dozen Patrick Kane jerseys and a handful of Jonathan Toews jerseys hanging in the window, along with a sad Seth Jones shirsey. Expect a lot of No. 98 jerseys up for grabs this summer when selection is official.
With the Blackhawks trading Kane and telling Toews he won’t be offered a new contract, Chicago is lucky to have an immediate replacement for the face of the franchise. Jersey sales will increase, ticket sales will increase and nationally televised games will increase.
The Blackhawks are hoping Bedard will lead their on-ice turnaround. They knew he would be the leader of their off-ice turnaround. — Lazerus
Bedard scouting report
Bedard is a potential franchise-changing No. 1 prospect. His skill and shot are legit game-breaking attributes. His ability to beat defenders one-on-one is among the best I’ve seen by a 17-year-old, and the speed with which he displays that elite skill will allow him to make expert plays. in the NHL. Bedard is a very inventive puck handler and a very creative passer. That, along with the fact that his wrist shot is a top-tier NHL weapon from anywhere in the offensive zone, makes him a prospective nightmare for NHL coaches to stop on the power play.
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2023 NHL Draft: Connor Bedard No. 1, Will Smith rose to Corey Pronman’s latest ranking
The only downside to his game is his frame, which has some scouts wondering if he’ll end up on the wing in the NHL. He is not a pushover though, as he plays hard and has a physical edge to his game. Given his success as a junior center, his strong skating and his high level of competition, I think whoever drafts him needs to try him at center and move to the wing if it doesn’t work out. If he’s a wing, he could still potentially have a Kane/Nikita Kucherov type of impact on a franchise. — Pronman
Backstory
The Ducks, by virtue of finishing with the league’s worst record, enter Monday’s lottery with the best chance to land the No. 1 pick at 25.5 percent. Next came the Blue Jackets (13.5 percent), followed by the Blackhawks (11.5), Sharks (9.5) and Canadiens (8.5).
Teams were able to jump 10 spots in the lottery but couldn’t fall more than two spots, meaning the 11 teams that finished at the bottom of the standings had a shot to pick No. 1. unable to climb to No. 1 pick by lottery. If one of those five teams had won, they would have moved up 10 spots in the standings and Anaheim would have been automatically declared the winner.
Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Matvei Michkov and Leo Carlsson are the unanimous top four prospects in the 2023 draft.
Required reading
(Photo: Larry MacDougal/AP)