The 2023 NHL Draft lottery is here. 16 franchises will be hoping that the ping pong balls fall their way tonight as the order for the Entry Draft will be decided tonight.
Of the teams who failed to qualify for the playoffs, only Ottawa, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Nashville and Calgary have less than a 3% chance of winning the lottery outright. While a solid group which includes the likes of Adam Fantilli, Matvey Michkov, and Leo Carlsson will likely be everyday NHLers sooner rather than later, they’re all consolation prizes in this year’s draft class.
That’s because Connor Bedard is the crown jewel of the 2023 group. A generational talent who made a habit of re-writing record books on his ascent through the Junior Hockey system, Bedard is an absolute lock to go number 1 overall.
Here are the odds for each team heading into the draft lottery this evening:
| Team | Odds at Number 1 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 18.5% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 13.5% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 11.5% |
| San Jose Sharks | 9.5% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 8.5% |
| Arizona Coyotes | 7.5% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 6.5% |
| Washington Capitals | 6% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 5% |
| St. Louis Blues | 3.5% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3% |
| Ottawa Senators | 2.5% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1.5% |
| Nashville Predators | 0.5% |
| Calgary Flames | 0.5% |
The Draft will be televised on Monday, May 8th at 8pm ET.
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