Phil Thompson, the Blackhawks’ beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, joins “9 Good Minutes” on WGN News Now to discuss the team’s draft and offseason.

CHICAGO – Oh how a little luck can help change things when it comes to a team in professional sports. A few lucky ping-pong balls, and a generational talent can end up on your roster.

That’s how the Blackhawks and their fans are feeling after they got a lot of lottery luck on May 8, winning the No. 1 overall pick and the shot to select elite prospect Connor Bedard. It’s highly, highly likely that the center will be selected by the team when they go on the clock at the NHL Draft on June 28 in Nashville.

But even when the Blackhawks get Bedard, he’ll be the first major player on a team that is still very much rebuidling. Even with the phenom, who had 71 goals and 72 assists with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League that season, it could be a while before the team returns to the playoffs.

General manager Kyle Davidson has a number of draft picks this year and the following two season as he looks to significantly grow the Blackhawks’ base of talent in their system. That’s probably not going to happen overnight and turn the team into a Stanley Cup contender over the next year or two.

So the biggest question for many is how does getting Bedard, one of the best prospects in the draft in years, accelerate the plan for Davidson?

Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune joined “9 Good Minutes” on Wednesday, June 7 to discuss that along with other topics on the Blackhawks’ offseason. You can watch the Blackhawks beat writer’s conversation with Larry Hawley on WGN News Now in the video above.