The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery takes place on Monday night, and the race for Connor Bedard will all but conclude.
The 17-year-old center from British Columbia was the talk of the NHL Draft community — last season, when he wasn’t eligible to be drafted. He’s been the presumptive no. 1 pick in a deep draft and a potential franchise player for one of the 11 teams who may get to draft him.
And that’s what the lottery is for, to find out who is picking when among the non-playoff teams in the NHL.
Here’s what you need to know about the NHL Draft lottery in 2023:
How does the NHL Draft Lottery work?
Each team has four-digit combinations (the combination amounts relative to the team’s specific odds) that are generated by a computer. 14 numbered ping-pong balls are entered into the lottery machine (to create 1,000 possible combinations), and four balls are drawn. The team who has the combination drawn will earn the No. 1 pick; if one of the five teams outside the top 11 has their combination drawn, that team will move up 10 spots but Anaheim will earn the No. 1 pick.
The NHL will draw another four-number combination to select the team who will pick at No. 2. If one of the five teams outside the top 11 has their combination drawn again, that team will move up 10 spots but Columbus will earn the No. 2 picks.
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Why is it a bigger deal this year?
Connor Bedard. The Canadian-born center is considered the best prospect since at least Auston Matthews in the 2016 draft, and possibly longer than that.
In Sportsnet scouting analyst Jason Bukala’s latest draft rankings, the former NHL executive said Bedard “could literally change the trajectory of an NHL franchise.”
Michigan center Adam Fantilli, Swedish center Leo Carlsson, Russian winger Matvei Michkov and Boston College-committed center Will Smith comprise a very strong top five in this year’s draft, which will take place…
Oh, right. The 2023 NHL Draft is in Nashville.
It is! It’s scheduled to take place on June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators are out of the race to earn the No. 1 pick and a chance to draft Bedard.
Nashville, like all the teams in the lottery, can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft order. Because of that, the Predators can only move up as high as No. 5 overall.
The Predators have a 97.9% chance of staying at No. 15, according to Tankathon. In a draft that is very deep, that’s not a bad place to be. But it could be better, and that’s the fun of the lottery.
How to watch the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
Time: 7 pm Central
TV: ESPN
Live stream: Watch ESPN and ESPN+
NHL Draft Lottery odds; what are the odds each team will get the No. 1 pick?
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Anaheim Ducks — 25.5%
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Columbus Blue Jackets — 13.5%
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Chicago Blackhawks — 11.5%
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San Jose Sharks — 9.5%
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Montreal Canadiens — 8.5%
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Arizona Coyotes — 7.5%
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Philadelphia Flyers — 6.5%
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Washington Capitals — 6.0%
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Detroit Red Wings — 5.0%
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St. Louis Blues — 3.5%
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Vancouver Canucks — 3.0%
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Ottawa Senators — 0%*
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Buffalo Sabers — 0%*
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Pittsburgh Penguins — 0%*
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Nashville Predators — 0%*
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Calgary Flames — 0%*
* — Nos. 12-16 will move up 10 positions if their combination is drawn, but won’t receive the No. 1 pick. Those five teams combine for about 7% of the odds for their combination to be drawn.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NHL Draft Lottery 2023: How the lottery works, No. 1 pick odds