NHL playoff standings update: Connor Bedard lottery reset

Mar 17, 2023

Tim KavanaghESPN.com
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There have been some incredibly busy nights on the NHL schedule recently, with many playoff contenders battling it out for those precious points. Tonight is not one of those nights.

Six of the eight teams in action are in draft lottery positions right now, and while two of them — the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals — can almost see a pathway to a wild card if they squint their eyes a certain way, the other four have a combined playoff chance percentage of about 4%. But that just means it’s time for another dive into the NHL draft lottery projections!

For those who haven’t been paying close attention to draft prospects yet, a franchise-altering forward named Connor Bedard is tearing up the WHL this season and will be the first name off the board this June. Unlike some other leagues, the worst team doesn’t automatically get the first pick; instead, a weighted lottery occurs, where teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots via two draws. In other words, any team that finishes 11th or worse has a crack at drafting Bedard, thus accelerating its rebuild/retool.

Tonight’s slate features two of the bottom four teams — the Columbus Blue Jackets (49 points, 15 regulation wins in 67 games) and Anaheim Ducks (54, 12 in 68) — squaring off in SoCal. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Sabres and Capitals will play the Philadelphia Flyers (59, 22 in 67) and the St. Louis Blues (63, 21 in 67), respectively.

There could be movement in the Bedard standings by tomorrow morning, and be sure to set your calendar for May 8 at 7 p.m. ET, when the draft lottery will be broadcast live on ESPN.

As we enter the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2023 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s games
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick