Remember that time the Blackhawks won the draft lottery and the right to draft a once-in-a-generation talent with the No. 1 overall pick?
Well, gear up Blackhawks fans, because they might just do it again.
Okay, maybe not a "generational talent" this time around, but the Blackhawks own the second-best lottery odds for the NHL Draft, meaning they have a 13.5% chance of earning the No. 1 overall pick. Those are even better odds than they had last year when they had an 11.5% chance of winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
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Only the Sharks finished the 2024 regular season with a worse record than the Blackhawks, which gives San Jose the best odds of winning the draft lottery at 25%. The Ducks have the third-best odds at 13.5%.
No matter what happens, the Blackhawks are guaranteed at least a top-four pick in this year's draft. They have a 14.1% chance of getting the No. 2 pick, a 30.7% chance at the No. 3 pick and a 41.7% chance of dropping to No. 4, Ben Pope wrote unofficially.
The Blackhawks own another first-round pick, too, by way of Tampa Bay. But since the Lightning made the playoffs, that pick will be outside the top-10.
Boston University's Macklin Celebrini is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick this year. It may not be the Bedard sweepstakes, but the two-way center has produced at a supreme level everywhere he's played.
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There is no date set for the 2024 NHL Draft lottery, but the selection will take place sometime in May, according to the league.