Chicago wins Connor Bedard sweepstakes, capturing No. 1 pick in NHL draft lottery

Chicago have won the NHL draft lottery and the right to select Connor Bedard with the first pick, parlaying one of their worst seasons in decades into a potentially franchise-altering player.

It's the second time Chicago have won the lottery in the past two decades, and the previous victory in 2007 netted them Patrick Kane, who helped them win the Stanley Cup three times between 2010 and 2015. Bedard can now step into the void filled by the departures of Kane and longtime captain Jonathan Toews and become the new face of the Original Six organization.

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly unveiled a placard featuring Chicago's logo Monday night, signifying they had gotten the No. 1 pick. Chicago had the third-highest odds of winning the lottery at 11.5 per cent, behind Anaheim's 25.5 per cent and Columbus' 13.5 per cent.

Montreal, which had an 8.5 per cent chance of landing the top pick, will have the highest selection of any Canadian team in this year's draft, to be held June 28 and 29 in Nashville.

WATCH | Chicago leaps 2 spots to win NHL draft lottery:

The Vancouver Canucks (11th) and the Calgary Flames (16th) round out the Canadian teams who will select in the top 16. The Ottawa Senators will send their 12th-overall pick to the Arizona Coyotes after trading their first-round pick to Arizona for defenceman Jakob Chychrun at the NHL trade deadline in March.

League-worst Anaheim won the lottery for the second pick and will get to choose among a trio of talented forwards: Canadian Adam Fantilli, Russian Matvei Michkov and Swede Leo Carlsson. Columbus is set to pick third.

But Bedard has been the presumptive top pick in the 2023 draft for several years, considered the best prospect available since Connor McDavid eight years