NHL announces time change for 2023 NHL Draft Lottery
Connor Bedard is going to have to wait an extra hour to find out his NHL fate.
The National Hockey League has announced a time change for the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, moving the draw back an hour to 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on Monday, May 8 at at NHL Network’s Secaucus, New Jersey.
The draft lottery will be broadcast on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
Bedard is the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2023 draft. He led all NHL Draft eligible skaters with 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists) in 57 games with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League.
The Anaheim Ducks, by way of a 23-47-12 record for a .354 points percentage after losing 13 straight to end the 2022-23 campaign, hold the draft lottery’s best odds at nabbing Bedard at 25.5%. The Columbus Blue Jackets, at 25-48-9 and a .360 points percentage, rank second at 13.5%. The Chicago Blackhawks have the third-best odds at 11.5% after struggling to the tune of a 26-49-7 record for a .360 points percentage.
Under recently-altered draft lottery rules, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots from their finishing position. That means a team like the Calgary Flames, who have the words odds of a lottery win at just a 0.5%, can only jump to sixth — and out of the Bedard sweepstakes.
Here’s who can claim the No. 1 spot and the right to draft Bedard:
| RNK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS % | ODDS |
| 1 | Anaheim Ducks | 23-47-12 | .354 | 25.5% |
| 2 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 25-48-9 | .360 | 13.5% |
| 3 | Chicago Blackhawks | 26-49-7 | .360 | 11.5% |
| 4 | San Jose Sharks | 22-44-16 | .366 | 9.5% |
| 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 31-45-6 | .415 | 8.5% |
| 6 | Arizona Coyotes | 28-40-14 | .427 | 7.5% |
| 7 | Philadelphia Flyers | 31-38-13 | .457 | 6.5% |
| 8 | Washington Capitals | 35-37-10 | .488 | 6.0% |
| 9 | Detroit Red Wings | 35-37-10 | .488 | 5.0% |
| 10 | St. Louis Blues | 37-38-7 | .494 | 3.5% |
| 11 | Vancouver Canucks | 37-37-7 | .500 | 3.0% |
The first round of the 2023 draft will be held Wednesday, June 28 with rounds two through seven set for Thursday, June 29.