Tank for Bedard: These teams are most likely to finish last in NHL this year

Jan 10 2023, 9:06 pm

Teenage hockey phenom Connor Bedard ignited a firestorm with his performance at this month’s World Juniors.

Bedard, the projected 2023 first overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft, had a monstrous tournament with nine goals and 14 assists in just seven games en route to his second gold medal with Canada.

Back in the WHL with the Regina Pats, Bedard has put up 70 points — 31 goals and 39 assists — in just 20 games with his junior club.

They’re mind-boggling numbers, and NHL teams are likely already wondering if they should tank the rest of their season in order to have the best odds at Bedard. The 16 NHL teams that miss the playoffs will be entered into the draft lottery, but each team is only permitted to move up a maximum of 10 spots. That means that only 11 teams will have a shot at the first-overall pick.

Of course, the end goal of any NHL season is to win a Stanley Cup, and even the worst roster usually has some optimism at the start of the season.

But what if we looked at things the other way around?

Who’s the furthest from a Stanley Cup this season as we approach the halfway point of the NHL calendar, and should reasonably tank their season in order to have the best odds at Connor Bedard?

Three teams: Chicago (1900.00), Anaheim (1600.00), and Columbus (1300.00) have worse than 1000-1 odds at winning it all this season, and all appear well on their way to be among the leaders of the Bedard sweepstakes.

But three Canadian teams: Montreal (400.00), Ottawa (155.00), and Vancouver (105.00) are pretty far removed from having a shot at winning it all either, and are all in the bottom-10 when it comes to Stanley Cup odds this season.

We’re not saying it’s time for everyone to get their tanking hats on, but if there ever was a player to do it for, Bedard might just be it.

From Stake.com, here’s who has the longest shots at winning the Stanley Cup this season, and conversely, much better odds at having a shot at Connor Bedard.

Note: Florida’s 2023 first-round draft pick is owned by Montreal, Tampa Bay’s 2023 first-round draft pick is owned by Chicago, and Dallas’ 2023 first-round draft pick is owned by the New York Rangers.

Daily Hive

Supported Content

This content was created by Daily Hive’s editorial team independently, with financial support from a sponsor.
Offside StaffOffside Staff

+ Offside
+ Hockey
+ Sports betting
ADVERTISEMENT