If your favorite team appears in this story: congratulations! They were miserable this season!

The 2023 NHL Draft lottery takes place tonight, with 11 teams holding a chance to land Connor Bedard with the first overall pick. It’s a day that’ll change a franchise. And, fortunately for the teams that miss out, you’ve got an excellent chance of landing someone that can become an instant star as well.

This feels like a day a million years in the making. Connor Bedard has been in the eye of the conscious hockey fan for about five years now, ever since he was putting up incredible numbers against older talent growing up. These phenoms come about once a decade, and Bedard is easily the best prospect since Connor McDavid. Even if he lives up to 75 percent of the hype, he’ll be one of the best players in the world.

NHL

How Connor Bedard became hockey's next young superstar

With a range of teams in the mix, there are various levels of talent in the pipeline wherever he goes. The teams with the best odds – Anaheim, Columbus and Chicago – have promising prospect pools, but the quality starts to dip down the farther you go. But the consensus around scouts is that he’ll draw talent with him no matter where Bedard lands.

Drafting a pending superstar doesn’t mean instant success – ask the Edmonton Oilers or Toronto Maple Leafs about that. But it’ll definitely get you closer. Here’s a look at how the future for the 11 teams in the hunt for Bedard is shaping up – ranked by their lottery odds.

 

1. Anaheim Ducks (25.5 percent)

While the Ducks lack a true game-changing prospect, they have some tremendous quality regardless. They’re exceptionally strong in the blueline department with Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Tristan Luneau and Jackson LaCombe. They also have a hard-working two-way forward in Nathan Gaucher and a pure goal-scorer in Sasha Pastujov. Even Lukas Dostal looks capable of being a quality NHL goaltender. The team already has a decent young core with Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry and Jamie Drysdale, but landing Bedard would make this the No. 1 prospect pool, no question. (Rating: A-)

 

2. Columbus Blue Jackets (13.5 percent)

The Blue Jackets promoted Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko to full-time NHL duty this year, but they still have one of the best pools in the league. Their biggest strength is on the blueline, with David Jiricek being one of the best prospects in the world, and Denton Mateychuk, Corson Ceulemans and Stanislav Svozil all being great in their own way. They also have Jordan Dumais, a small QMJHL forward with 140 points this past season – three behind Bedard. The one thing missing is a top-flight goaltender, but Daniil Tarasov looks to be NHL-ready for next year. There’s some strong quantity, and quality, in Ohio’s future. (Rating: A-)