The NHL Draft Lottery is an annual event where the order of selection for the upcoming NHL Draft is determined. It’s a highly anticipated event, as teams who miss the playoffs or are eliminated early are hoping to secure the first overall pick, which often means selecting a generational talent that can change the trajectory of their franchise. In recent years, the NHL has introduced a new twist to the Draft Lottery: the Connor Bedard contest.
Connor Bedard is a highly touted prospect who’s currently playing in the Western Hockey League. He’s been compared to Connor McDavid and has been on the radar of NHL scouts since he was 13 years old. In the 2022 NHL Draft, he’s expected to go first overall, and the team that drafts him will have the opportunity to add a dynamic forward who can score goals, create chances, and make plays.
The Connor Bedard contest is a new wrinkle in the Draft Lottery. Each team that misses the playoffs is given a chance to win the contest, which is essentially a lottery within a lottery. The team that wins the contest gets the opportunity to select Bedard, even if they don’t have the first overall pick. This means that a team like the Chicago Blackhawks, who finished just outside of the playoffs, could potentially win the contest and add Bedard to their already impressive prospect pool.
The Blackhawks are a team on the rise. They have a talented core of players, including Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, and Kirby Dach, and have been making moves to add to their roster in recent years. They traded for Seth Jones in the offseason and signed free agent Jaden Schwartz, giving them a solid top six and a formidable defense. If they were to add Bedard to their prospect pool, they would be one of the most exciting young teams in the league.
Of course, winning the Connor Bedard contest is far from a sure thing. There are 16 teams that miss the playoffs, and each of them has an equal chance of winning the contest. But the prospect of adding Bedard to their roster is tantalizing, and the Blackhawks are certainly a team that would benefit greatly from his presence.
In addition to the Draft Lottery and the Connor Bedard contest, the Blackhawks have been making headlines for their recent success on the ice. They finished the 2021-22 season with a 45-29-8 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They swept the Edmonton Oilers in the first round before falling to the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, but their performance was impressive nonetheless.
The Blackhawks have a lot to be excited about. They have a talented roster, a deep prospect pool, and a dedicated fan base. If they can win the Connor Bedard contest and add him to their already impressive young core, they could be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
Lottery is always an exciting event
In conclusion, the NHL Draft Lottery is always an exciting event, as teams look to secure the first overall pick and add a potential franchise-changing player to their roster. The addition of the Connor Bedard contest has added a new wrinkle to the lottery, giving teams who miss the playoffs a chance to win the rights to select Bedard. The Chicago Blackhawks are one team that could benefit greatly from winning the contest, as they already have a talented roster and an impressive prospect pool. And while winning the contest is far from a sure thing, the possibility of adding Bedard to their roster is certainly tantalizing. In the meantime, Blackhawks fans can celebrate the team’s recent success and look forward to what the future holds for their beloved team.
