Every hockey fan knows who is going No. 1 in the 2023 NHL Draft. The only question left is who's the lucky team that will get him.
As the 2023 NHL playoffs arrive, half of the league is focused on making a run to the Stanley Cup, while the other 16 teams can shift towards turning their attention to the NHL Draft. Before that is the NHL Draft lottery, which will determine the order of the first 16 picks.
Bedard is going to be the first name announced come draft day. The term "generational talent" isn't thrown around lightly, but everything we have seen out of the Regina Pats superstar suggests that he has the tools to be just that.
The lottery will dictate which team gets the honor of the first selection, and with that, the presumed rights to the Canadian center.
LIVE: Sporting News tracks the results of the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
Here is everything you need to know about the NHL Draft Lottery.
When is the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery?
- Date: Monday, May 8
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft will be determined on Monday, May 8. The draft lottery is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m.
The 2023 NHL Draft will take place June 28 and 29.
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How to watch the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
- TV Channel: ESPN (U.S.) | Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Canada)
- Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo (U.S.) | SN NOW (Canada)
ESPN will be home to the 2023 NHL Draft lottery for viewers in the United States. Streamers can catch the action on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Fans can also stream the event on Fubo. Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks and also offers a free trial, so hockey fans tuning in to the main broadcast can use the streaming service.
Canadian viewers can watch the draft lottery on Sportsnet, or on TVA Sports for the French-speaking audience. SN NOW will have a stream of the event.
How does the NHL Draft Lottery work?
The 16 teams that do not make the playoffs are assigned an odds percentage, which is based on where they finished in the standings. The lower the team is, the higher their odds are at the top pick.
The NHL implemented a few new changes to the rules of the lottery a couple of seasons ago that limits how far up certain teams can go.
At the draft lottery, there will be two draws: one for the No. 1 pick and one for No. 2. After that, the order will go based on where teams finished the season.
This is a change from three drawings in the past for the top three picks.
One of the two new rules that have been implemented at the 2022 draft is that teams will be restricted from moving up more than 10 spots if they win one of the lottery draws. So whichever teams are slotted between No. 12-16 cannot get the No. 1 pick.
The other is that teams cannot win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span. Any wins in the lottery prior to 2022 will not be counted toward this total, so 2022 marks the beginning of any team's five-year period.
For example, if the Canadiens were to win the draft lottery again this year, they would not be eligible to receive the No. 1 pick again until 2027.
After the first two picks have been determined, the rest of the field will be slotted in order of where they finished in the standings. This ensures that the team with the worst record cannot fall any further than third.
NHL Draft lottery odds 2023
Here is how the NHL lottery odds system is broken down. The rankings are determined by going backward in the standings, so the team that finishes worst is first.
| Team | Chance at No. 1 pick |
|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | 25.5% |
| 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 | 6.0% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 5.0% |
| St. Louis Blues | 3.5% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3.0% |
History of No. 1 overall picks in the NHL Draft
The NHL entry draft was first created ahead of the 1963 NHL season. This year's edition will be the 61st draft in the history of the NHL.
The Canadiens have made the most No. 1 picks with six, including last year's selection of Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1. The Ducks, Canucks, Wild, Hurricanes, Predators, Sharks, Flames and Kraken have never received the first pick in the draft.
Here is a look at which teams got the No. 1 picks from the last 10 drafts and who they selected.
| Year | Team | Player Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Montreal Canadiens | Juraj Slafkovsky |
| 2021 | Buffalo Sabres | Owen Power |
| 2020 | New York Rangers | Alexis Lafrenière |
| 2019 | New Jersey Devils | Jack Hughes |
| 2018 | Buffalo Sabres | Rasmus Dahlin |
| 2017 | New Jersey Devils | Nico Hischier |
| 2016 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Auston Matthews |
| 2015 | Edmonton Oilers | Connor McDavid |
| 2014 | Colorado Avalanche | Nathan MacKinnon |
| 2013 | Florida Panthers | Aaron Ekblad |
