CHICAGO — This could very well end up being a pivotal moment in the current Blackhawks’ rebuild: The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, which takes place on Monday night.
It’s the chance for general manager Kyle Davidson to have the shot to either draft a generational talent with the top selection or another potentially franchise-changing player in the top three.
But the Blackhawks along with a few other teams will need a little lottery luck to get that done.
Here’s what to know about the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery.
What time is the NHL Draft Lottery?
This has actually changed within the last week as the league has moved the NHL Draft Lottery to a little bit later in the evening.
The drawing will take place at 7 p.m. central time in Secaucus, New Jersey as the teams that didn’t make the playoffs get to see where they’ll select first in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Ping pong balls will be drawn for the top two picks only, with the rest of the order being set by regular season finish.
Wherever the Blackhawks pick, Kyle Davidson will make his selections at the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
What are the odds of the Blackhawks getting the No. 1 pick (AKA Connor Bedard)?
While Kyle Davidson was successful in having the Blackhawks finish toward the bottom of the standings to get a better pick, the team doesn’t have the top odds to land the first overall selection.
On Monday night, the team has the third-best chance of getting the No. 1 pick, who will be center Connor Bedard, one of the best prospects in years in the league. The Blackhawks have an 11.5 percent chance to getting that top spot.
The Ducks, who finished with the lowest amount of points in the league, have an 18.5 percent chance of getting the top overall pick while the Blue Jackets, the second-worst team in the league, have a 13.5 percent chance.
How often has the team with the 3rd-best odds for the No. 1 pick won the lottery?
It’s happened five times since the NHL Draft Lottery was started in 1995, with a few big names in that mix.
The Capitals moved from third to first thanks to the lottery and selected Alexander Ovechkin, a 13-time All-Star, three-time Hart Trophy winner for NHL MVP, and 2018 Stanley Cup champion. His 822 goals are second in NHL history only behind Wayne Gretzky.
In 2015, the Oilers moved from the third spot to the top spot to pick Connor McDavid, who is one of the best players in the game. He’s won two Hart Trophies, led the NHL in scoring five times, and is a six-time All-Star.
Here’s the full list of teams that moved up from third to first in the lottery.
- 2001 – Thrashers – Forward Ilya Kovalchuk
- 2002 – Panthers (Traded to Columbus) – Forward Rick Nash
- 2004 – Capitals – Center Alexander Ovechkin
- 2015 – Oilers – Center Connor McDavid
- 2019 – Devils – Center Jack Hughes
What’s the lowest the Blackhawks can pick in the first round?
With how the NHL Draft Lottery rules work, the Blackhawks could only fall two spots below their standing in the regular season, so the lowest they could pick is fifth.
Here are the odds for the Blackhawks when it comes to the other four picks they could have in the first round.
- 2nd Overall – 11.2 percent
- 3rd Overall – 7.8 percent
- 4th Overall – 39.7 percent
- 5th Overall – 29.8 percent
How often have the Blackhawks won the NHL Draft Lottery?
Since it’s inception, the Blackhawks have had their ping pong ball come out first during an NHL Draft lottery twice.
The team won it back in 1999 with the eighth-best odds, but since restrictions prevented teams from moving up more than four spots, the Blackhawks were given the fourth overall selection. The team eventually traded the pick to Vancouver for defenseman Bryan McCabe & a 2000 first round pick.
In 2007, the franchise changed forever when the team moved up from the fifth spot to the top selection in the lottery. They used that to select nine-time All-Star and 2016 Hart Trophy winner Patrick Kane, who helped the team to three Stanley Cup titles in the 2010s.
