Lottery luck: Blackhawks win Connor Bedard sweepstakes

Barring something unthinkable happening, Connor Bedard soon will be a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks won the NHL draft lottery on Monday, giving them the first pick overall in the June 28 draft.

Unless the Blackhawks shockingly trade the pick or select someone else, Bedard — the consensus No. 1 pick and the No. 1 North American skater in the final draft rankings — will be on his way to Chicago.

YOU HEARD IT HERE FOLKS, WE’RE PICKING FIRST pic.twitter.com/vznFjcfXq8

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 9, 2023

If Bedard goes first, as expected, he would be the first Regina Pats player taken first overall in the NHL draft since Doug Wickenheiser went No. 1 to the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 lottery.

Chicago entered the draft with the third-best odds to get the first pick, at 11.5 per cent.

The Anaheim Ducks had the best odds at 18.5 per cent, followed in the top five by the Columbus Blue Jackets (13.5 per cent), Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks (9.5 per cent) and Montreal (8.5 per cent).

Chicago is in the midst of a major turnover, having moved away from established stars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks missed the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, posting a record of 26-49-7 and scoring an NHL-low 204 goals in 82 regular-season games.

Chicago hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2020 post-season; in fact, the Blackhawks have missed the playoffs in five of the past six seasons.

Bedard was the first player ever granted exceptional player status in the WHL, allowing him to play fulltime in the league as a 15-year-old.

Now 17, he has lived up to the hype.

In 134 regular-season games with the Pats, Bedard scored 134 goals and added 137 assists. During the 2022-23 season, he led the WHL with 71 goals and 143 points in just 57 games.

He added 10 goals and 10 assists in seven playoff games.

Teams around the WHL derived some financial benefit from having the Pats visit during the 2022-23 season. Thanks to the so-called “Bedard Bump,” numerous teams set single-game attendance records throughout the campaign — but mostly after Bedard’s showing at the 2023 world junior hockey championship.

During that event, the product of North Vancouver, B.C., was named the tournament’s MVP after scoring nine goals and assisting on 14 others.

After that showing in the second world junior tournament of his career, Bedard owns nearly every Canadian scoring record at the event.

Pats head coach-GM John Paddock told The Green Zone on Monday that Bedard is ready for the pros thanks to his work ethic and preparation.

“He doesn’t do anything that might affect his game or his day or his preparation in a negative way,” Paddock said. “He doesn’t take a minute off. He is doing everything he can to be the best he is that day at practice or that day in the game.”

Paddock, who also coached in the NHL during his career, believes Bedard will be able to play at a “high level” in the NHL.

“It’s indescribable how (similar players) have handled (the attention) if you look at (Sidney) Crosby and so forth down through the years — (Connor) McDavid and the most recent guys,” Paddock said. “It’s just something that they have that ability to have and do and maintain.”

Paddock believes the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Bedard will get stronger as he continues to get older.

“He will get stronger; he’s built like Crosby,” Paddock said. “I hope he grows another inch. Whether he does or not, it doesn’t really matter.

“He’s a powerful player who’s not the fastest guy but he’s not far off of it. His ability to see the ice and his ability with the stick to shoot and pass the puck is at a super high level.”