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Tim KavanaghESPN.com
Tonight’s NHL schedule is not one that will have an outsized influence on the playoff races — the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Florida Panthers and the Anaheim Ducks head to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames.
But all of these teams will play a role in the upcoming 2023 NHL draft lottery.
At this point, all four clubs are in the bottom 16, and eligible to move up in this summer’s draft. As of 2021, teams can move up only 10 spots, so the Flames won’t quite make it all the way to No. 1 should they win a drawing. As for the Panthers, their first-round pick belongs to the Montreal Canadiens as part of the trade for Ben Chiarot last season. For the Ducks and Blackhawks, however, a generational talent is atop the board for their potential selection should they win the lottery.
Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats is the eighth under-18 player in WHL history (and first in 24 years) to score 60 goals in a season, according to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects. He led Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship (scoring beauties such as this one), and has essentially been the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 draft class for the past few years. He’s No.1 on the NHL central scouting bureau’s ranks, along with those from The Athletic’s Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, Elite Prospects, Sportsnet, TSN, The Hockey News and Chris Peters of FloSports.
“He’s almost magical,” TSN’s Craig Button told ESPN earlier this season. “I never thought I’d say that about him. He was quick and he was fast and he was allusive and everything. But he’s got a magical quality to him.”
Which team will get to draft him? Stay tuned the rest of the season to see which clubs put themselves in… ahem… the best position to win the lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s games
Last night’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC2 Pittsburgh Penguins
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Tampa Bay Lightning
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 New York Islanders
M2 New Jersey Devils vs. M3 New York Rangers
Western Conference
C1 Dallas Stars vs. WC1 Edmonton Oilers
C2 Minnesota Wild vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC2 Winnipeg Jets
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Seattle Kraken
Friday’s games
Note: All times Eastern. All games not on ESPN, TNT or NHL Network are available via NHL Power Play, which is included in an ESPN+ subscription (local blackout restrictions apply).
Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
Thursday’s scoreboard
Watch “In the Crease” on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.
New Jersey Devils 3, Washington Capitals 2 (SO)
Edmonton Oilers 3, Boston Bruins 2
Dallas Stars 10, Buffalo Sabres 4
Carolina Hurricanes 1, Philadelphia Flyers 0
New York Rangers 4, Montreal Canadiens 3 (SO)
New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 (OT)
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 3 (OT)
St. Louis Blues 4, San Jose Sharks 2
Arizona Coyotes 4, Nashville Predators 1
Los Angeles Kings 5, Colorado Avalanche 2
Ottawa Senators 5, Seattle Kraken 4
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Points: 103
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 134
Next game: vs. DET (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 110
Next game: vs. EDM (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 104
Next game: vs. CHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 90
Next game: @ VAN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 13%
Tragic number: 32
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 88
Next game: vs. CHI (Friday)
Playoff chances: 37%
Tragic number: 30
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 87
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 8%
Tragic number: 30
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 86
Next game: @ BOS (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 2%
Tragic number: 29
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 73
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 18
Metropolitan Division
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 19
Points pace: 122
Next game: vs. VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 115
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 18
Points pace: 104
Next game: @ BUF (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 93
Next game: vs. WSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 62%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 18
Points pace: 95
Next game: vs. PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 72%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 86
Next game: @ NYI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 7%
Tragic number: 27
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 74
Next game: @ PIT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 19
Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 60
Next game: vs. STL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 9
Central Division
Points: 83
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 105
Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 102
Next game: @ SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 97%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 19
Points pace: 99
Next game: vs. ARI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 17
Points pace: 95
Next game: @ FLA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 58%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 20
Points pace: 91
Next game: @ LA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 25%
Tragic number: 34
Points: 61
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 78
Next game: @ CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 22
Points: 56
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 71
Next game: @ COL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 15
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 63
Next game: @ FLA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 10
Pacific Division
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 17
Points pace: 106
Next game: @ CAR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 104
Next game: vs. NSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 17
Points pace: 101
Next game: vs. DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 95%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 99
Next game: @ TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 98%
Tragic number: N/A
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 90
Next game: vs. ANA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 33%
Tragic number: 30
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 18
Points pace: 76
Next game: vs. OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 20
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 11
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 17
Points pace: 64
Next game: @ CGY (Friday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 10
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 62
Next game: vs. MIN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 7
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Connor Bedard, who has been lauded as a generational talent.
Points: 47
Regulation wins: 15
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 11
Points: 56
Regulation wins: 18
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 17
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 16
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 22
Points: 61
Regulation wins: 20
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 23
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 24
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 28
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Notes on traded picks impacting the top 16: