Blackhawks win No. 1 pick in 2023 NHL Draft, Ducks to pick second

Chicago won the pick from an 11.5% chance as the NHL’s 3rd-worst team last season, while the Anaheim Ducks fell a spot and will pick second overall despite finishing with the NHL’s worst record.

The lottery was especially significant this year thanks to the availability of Bedard, whose dominance in the WHL for the Regina Pats has made him the presumptive first pick. His prospect profile has reached the Connor McDavid/Sidney Crosby tier of hype.

In 2022-2023, Bedard supplemented a 71-goal, 143-point season with a similar eruption (10G, 10P in 7GP) in Regina’s first-round playoff exit. He was just as good on the international stage, with nine goals and 23 points in seven games against some of the best prospects in the world at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship for Canada.

Next season, Bedard, who does not turn 18 until July, will likely join a Chicago team that finished 26-49-7 in 2022-2023. His talents would help the Blackhawks rebound from the recent losses of Stanley Cup winners Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

The University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli is the most likely player to go second as this draft’s top collegiate prospect. Fantilli collected an incredible 30 goals and 65 points in 36 games on his way to winning the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s best player. He will try to exhibit his NHL readiness when he represents Canada at the IIHF World Championship in the coming weeks.

Fantilli is not the only player Anaheim will have to consider. Matvei Michkov has explosive offensive potential but will play in the KHL for the foreseeable future, while imposing Swedish center Leo Carlsson has had professional success in the SHL.

Anyone of Fantilli, Michkov, or Carlsson might have gone No. 1 overall in a year without Bedard.

After the Blackhawks and Ducks make their selections, the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, and Montreal Canadiens will round out the top five of a potentially historic draft in Nashville on June 28.