With the 15th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators will select …
That blank will be filled at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28, when the two-day entry draft will begin. On Monday, the league’s non-playoff teams learned the order in which they will pick after the draft lottery was conducted in New Jersey.
The Chicago Blackhawks were awarded the first pick. The overwhelming favorite for that pick is Connor Bedard. The Anaheim Ducks won the second pick, the Columbus Blue Jackets the third, the San Jose Sharks the fourth and the Montreal Canadiens the fifth.
Two drawings were held for the 16 teams that did not make the postseason. Computer-generated, four-digit combinations were randomly assigned to each team relative to their odds based on the final regular-season standings. Numbered balls were placed into a machine and drawn at 15-second intervals. The team with the winning combination was given the first pick.
That process was repeated for the second pick.
Only the 11 worst teams had a chance at the No. 1 pick. The other five teams that did not qualify for the postseason could move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery.
The highest the Predators could have picked was the fifth pick, for which they had a 0.5% chance.
The Anaheim Ducks had the best odds to land the No. 1 pick at 18.5%. The Blackhawks had an 11.5% chance. It’s the second time in Blackhawks history they’ve won the first pick. The last time they did, in 2007, they selected Patrick Kane, who helped lead them to three Stanley Cups.
The complete draft lottery order is below:
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Chicago Blackhawks
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Anaheim Ducks
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Columbus Blue Jackets
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San Jose Sharks
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Montreal Canadiens
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Arizona Coyotes
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Philadelphia Flyers
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Washington Capitals
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Detroit Red Wings
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St. Louis Blues
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Vancouver Canucks
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Arizona Coyotes via Ottawa Senators
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Buffalo Sabres
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Pittsburgh Penguins
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Nashville Predators
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Calgary Flames
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Where the Predators will pick in 2023 NHL Draft; who won No. 1 pick
