The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery takes place on Monday night, and the race for Connor Bedard will all but conclude.
The 17-year-old center from British Columbia was the talk of the NHL Draft community — last season, when he wasn’t eligible to be drafted. He’s been the presumptive No. 1 pick in a deep draft and a potential franchise player for one of the 11 teams who may get to draft him.
And that’s what the lottery is for, to find out who is picking when among the non-playoff teams in the NHL.
Here’s what you need to know about the NHL Draft lottery in 2023:
How does the NHL Draft Lottery work?
Each team have four-digit combinations (the combination amounts relative to the team’s specific odds) that are generated by a computer. 14 numbered ping-pong balls are entered into the lottery machine (to create 1,000 possible combinations), and four balls are drawn. The team who has the combination drawn will earn the No. 1 pick; if one of the five teams outside the top 11 has their combination drawn, that team will move up 10 spots but Anaheim will earn the No. 1 pick.
The NHL will draw another four-number combination to select the team who will pick at No. 2. If one of the five teams outside the top 11 has their combination drawn again, that team will move up 10 spots but Columbus will earn the No. 2 pick.
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Why is it a bigger deal this year?
Connor Bedard. The Canadian-born center is considered the best prospect since at least Auston Matthews in the 2016 draft, and possibly longer than that.
In Sportsnet scouting analyst Jason Bukala’s latest draft rankings, the former NHL executive said Bedard “could literally change the trajectory of an NHL franchise.”
Michigan center Adam Fantilli, Swedish center Leo Carlsson, Russian winger Matvei Michkov and Boston College-committed center Will Smith comprise a very strong top five in this year’s draft, which will take place…
Oh, right. The 2023 NHL Draft is in Nashville.
It is! It’s scheduled to take place on June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators are out of the race to earn the No. 1 pick and a chance to draft Bedard.
Nashville, like all the teams in the lottery, can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft order. Because of that, the Predators can only move up as high as No. 5 overall.
The Predators have a…