Canucks now guaranteed a chance to get Bedard in draft lottery

Apr 11 2023, 8:07 pm

The Vancouver Canucks will have at least a chance at the impossible dream next month.

Following Monday night’s results, the Canucks are now guaranteed to be one of 11 teams that will have a chance to get Connor Bedard with the first overall draft pick.

The 21st-place Ottawa Senators are now out of reach for the Canucks in the overall standings, meaning that the Canucks are guaranteed to finish with one of the 11-worst records in the NHL.

That’s significant because the league has tweaked its draft lottery rules in recent years and now only permits teams to move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft order. So while all 16 non-playoff teams participate in the lottery, only the 11-worst teams can win the first pick.

The Canucks are currently 25th overall, placing below Washington based on the regulation wins tiebreaker.

nhl standings

The Canucks are guaranteed to finish between 22nd and 25th, which means they’ll have a 3-6% shot at getting Bedard.

If the Canucks remain in their current position (25th place), they will have a 6% chance to win the first overall pick and a 6.4% shot at drafting second. The most likely scenario would see Vancouver picking eighth (54.4%) or ninth (30%). They could drop as low as 10th (3.2%).

2023 nhl draft lottery odds april 11

Current NHL draft lottery odds (Tankathon.com)

The Canucks have never had any semblance of draft lottery luck in their 53-year history, and they have never drafted first overall, but getting Bedard would make up for it. The North Vancouver native is the best and most hyped player to come out of junior hockey since Connor McDavid was drafted eight years ago.

The Canucks have two games left, both on the road, against the Anaheim Ducks tonight and the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. The NHL draft lottery is being held on May 8, televised by Sportsnet at 4 pm PT.

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