Yesterday evening NHL draft lottery, the league welcomed 16 teams participating in the event. Each team eagerly awaited the results of the lottery, hoping to secure a high pick in the upcoming 2023 NHL draft. The excitement was palpable as the results were revealed, and the Chicago Blackhawks emerged as the team with the first overall pick.
The draft order was determined by a lottery system, with the team that finished with the worst record in the previous season having the best chance of securing the first overall pick. However, the lottery system also allows for teams with better records to have a chance at securing a top pick.
The Calgary Flames were the first team announced, with the 16th overall pick. This will be their fourth time selecting 16th in franchise history. The Nashville Predators were next, with the 15th overall pick. This draft will also mark the last for GM David Poe, who has represented the franchise since its inception. Former head coach Barry Trotz will be taking over GM duties in July.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who had a 16-season playoff run come to an end, will have the 14th overall pick. This will be their first top 15 pick in over a decade. The Buffalo Sabers had a major improvement in the previous season, earning 91 points and the 13th overall pick. This will be their seventh time selecting 13th in franchise history and their first time since selecting Zach Cassian in 2009.
The Ottawa Senators had the 12th overall pick, but due to a condition of the Jacob Chiron trade, the selection will transfer to the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes will be selecting 12th for the fourth time in franchise history. The Vancouver Canucks will have the 11th overall pick, and this is the first time they have selected 11th overall since 1982.
The St. Louis Blues will have three first-round picks for the first time since 2007, with the 10th overall pick. The Detroit Red Wings will have the ninth overall pick, which they haven't had since 2017 when they selected forward Michael Rasmussen. The Washington Capitals had their eight-season playoff run come to an end with the eighth overall pick, but they will have a top 10 selection for the first time since 2007.
The Philadelphia Flyers had the seventh overall pick, and this will be their fifth time selecting seventh in franchise history. The Arizona Coyotes had the sixth overall pick, which is their first top 10 selection since selecting Oliver Ekman-Larsson in 2009. The Montreal Canadiens had the fifth overall pick, and this will be their second consecutive year with a top five selection. The last time they had the fifth overall pick, they selected franchise ace in goal, Carey Price.
The San Jose Sharks had the fourth overall pick, which is their first top five pick since 1998. This will be Mike Greer's second draft as a Sharks GM, and they have never selected fourth overall. However, there was a change in the order, with the Columbus Blue Jackets dropping to the third overall pick.
The remaining teams were the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks. Anaheim has never selected first overall, and the last time Chicago drafted number one was when they selected future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane in 2007. The excitement was palpable as Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly announced the first overall pick, which belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks. This will be their second time drafting first overall since 2007 with Patrick Kane.
In conclusion, the 2023 NHL draft lottery saw the Chicago Blackhawks secure the first overall pick, followed by the Anaheim Ducks with the second overall pick and the Columbus Blue Jackets with the third overall pick. Each team will have the opportunity to select a promising young player who could have a significant impact on their franchise's future. The draft will be an exciting event to watch, as fans eagerly await to see who their team will select.