Reaction: Blackhawks win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery for Connor Bedard
By Jim Lynch
The Chicago Blackhawks won the2023 NHL Draft Lottery and now will be able to add Connor Bedard to their organization at the upcoming NHL draft. Kyle Davidson’s rebuild might now be looking a little bit different than originally intended.
Reaction: Blackhawks win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery for Connor Bedard
The Blackhawks had an 11.5 percent chance at winning the NHL Draft Lottery, and somehow it happened. Every year one team is going to be that lucky team to win, and this year it is the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bedard is expected to be one of those generational NHL talents. While every year’s top overall pick is always overhyped a little bit, this year does not seem to be one of those overreactions.
The Blackhawks last selected first overall in 2007 when they added Patrick Kane. With Kane being traded this past season and Jonathan Toews also leaving the organization without a contract, Bedard now slots in as the new face of the franchise. Winning the first overall pick once every 16 years is not that often, but the Hawks definitely will take it.
With Chicago winning the first overall pick, Anaheim drafts second followed up by Columbus, San Jose and Montreal rounding out the top five. The only team that really jumped anyone in the rankings are the Blackhawks who sat with the third best odds at winning the lottery.
Does this change things for the Blackhawks?
Yes and no seems to be the best answer. The Blackhawks are going to add a new franchise icon this summer. They are going to be bring in a new cornerstone player who will be selling jerseys and helping to shape the next era of Blackhawks hockey. At the same time, the team also is going to have to put a little better product on the ice for a player of his caliber.
When the Edmonton Oilers drafted Connor McDavid, they already had a handful of other young stars ready to play alongside McDavid. The same is true for Patrick Kane in 2007. With Bedard being the presumed number one overall pick that Chicago will add, they are now going to have to add players who can play alongside him now.
The rebuild is not ending this upcoming season with this one draft, but at the same time it is not going to look like it did this past year with the team actively tanking to try and get the best odds at drafting first overall.