NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL announced on Wednesday that the 2023 Draft Lottery will take place on Monday, May 8.
The draft lottery will be a 30-minute standalone show from 7-7:30 p.m. ET that will be broadcast live on ESPN in the United States, and Sportsnet and TVAS in Canada.
The draw will determine which of the bottom 11 non-playoff teams at the end of the season will land consensus No. 1 prospect and generational talent Connor Bedard.
The 17-year-old has 61 goals and 125 points in 51 games for the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats this season.
Bedard also recorded nine goals and 23 points in seven games at the 2023 World Juniors, leading Canada to a gold medal victory.
For those unfamiliar with the NHL draft lottery rules, here's how it works:
Non-playoff teams (16 total) can move up only 10 spots in the order if they win one of the lottery draws for the top two picks, so only the bottom 11 seeds are eligible for the first-overall selection.
The last place team has an 18.5 per cent chance of winning the lottery for the No. 1 overall pick, and the additional percentages from the five non-playoff teams that don't finish in the bottom 11 are applied to the 32nd-place team.
So, that club will have a 25.5 per cent chance to win the Bedard sweepstakes.
As JD Young of Locked on Sharks notes, San Jose "won" in the lottery race by losing to the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime on Tuesday.
"The Sharks are putting themselves in the best possible position, and making it entertaining and fun," he said.
Elsewhere, the 30th-place Chicago Blackhawks did themselves no favors by upsetting the league-leading Boston Bruins on Tuesday.
The Anahiem Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators all currently also find themselves in the bottom 11 teams.