



The Blackhawks are first in line for Connor Bedard.
A miraculous stroke of luck in the NHL draft lottery Monday immediately rendered all the hand-wringing over the team’s 30th-place finish for naught, essentially gifting them the future face of the franchise.
The Hawks entered the day with just an 11.5% chance of winning the No. 1 pick but somehow cashed in with those odds. The Ducks landed the No. 2 pick while the Blue Jackets slipped to No. 3.
Come June 28 — when the draft begins in Nashville — the Hawks will almost certainly select Bedard, the 17-year-old Canadian forward phenom considered arguably the best prospect to enter the draft since Connor McDavid in 2015.
Bedard, a Vancouver native, racked up ridiculous stats for the Regina Pats of the WHL this past season, tallying 163 points — 81 goals and 82 assists — in just 64 games during the regular season and playoffs combined.
But his fame was propelled most by his superhuman performance at the world junior championships in December, when he produced 23 points in seven games to lead Canada to the gold medal. He’s an elite player in virtually all offensive categories, but his shot is considered most exceptional of all.
His anticipated selection will provide a colossal boost to the Hawks’ rebuild. If he lives up to his potential, he could be the man that makes the team a Stanley Cup contender again down the road — just like Patrick Kane, the only other No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, did after his selection in 2007.
This story will be updated.