As the NHL whittles down to its final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, 16 teams have their eyes on a different prize. Tonight one of the clubs that didn’t make the post-season will win the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, for the right to select phenom Connor Bedard.
The Montreal Canadiens rode the best odds last year to winning the first overall selection, choosing Juraj Slafkovský with the pick. After a rough season filled with injuries (including to Slafkovský), the team is back with a chance to claim that spot once more.
A win from the fifth spot happened just last year as the New Jersey Devils moved up to second in the 2nd Draft Lottery, so the Canadiens will hope that’s a lucky number again in 2023.
How to watch
Start time: 8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT
In Canada: Sportsnet (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the USA: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet Now
Two lotteries will be conducted today, one for the top pick, and a subsequent one to determine second overall. Teams have already been assigned four-ball combinations for a 14-ball lottery machine, and the winner will be determined by drawing balls one at a time.
Winning a lottery doesn’t jump a team right to the top, but instead moves it 10 places up the order. That means only 11 clubs have a shot at winning the first pick; if one of the teams with the 12th- to 16th-best odds wins the 1st Draft Lottery, it moves up 10 spots, but the first pick goes to the worst team, which would be the Anaheim Ducks. So while the Ducks have an 18.5% chance of being the winner of the lottery, their chances of getting the first overall pick are actually 25.5% (their assigned 18.5% plus the total of 7.0% held by the five teams with the lowest odds).
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| Team | Odds of winning lottery | Odds of claiming 1st overall pick |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim Ducks | 18.5% | 25.5% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 13.5% | 13.5% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 11.5% | 11.5% |
| San Jose Sharks | 9.5% | 9.5% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 8.5% | 8.5% |
| Arizona Coyotes | 7.5% | 7.5% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 6.5% | 6.5% |
| Washington Capitals | 6.0% | 6.0% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 5.0% | 5.0% |
| St. Louis Blues | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Ottawa Senators* | 2.5% | 0.0% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 2.0% | 0.0% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1.5% | 0.0% |
| Nashville Predators | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Calgary Flames | 0.5% | 0.0% |
The lottery for the second overall pick will follow the same procedure, with the winner of the first lottery taken out of the equation and the other 15 teams’ odds adjusted.
One of the picks has been involved in a previous trade. The Ottawa Senators are set to send theirs to the Arizona Coyotes as part of their acquisition of Jakob Chychrun, but that pick is top-five protected; Ottawa’s 2024 first will go to Arizona if Ottawa wins one of tonight’s lotteries.
Justin Blades
Jared Book
Patrik Bexell
2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Game 3: Vegas Golden Knights @ Edmonton Oilers
Series tied 1-1
How to watch
Start time: 8:30 PM EDT / 5:30 PM PDT
In Canada: CBC, Sportsnet (English) TVA Sports (French)
In the U.S.: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet Now
The first and second overall selections from the 2015 NHL Draft go head-to-head in the Pacific Division Final. Connor McDavid got the better of Jack Eichel once again in Game 2, and the Oilers will hope their home crowd helps keep the momentum rolling.