It also featured several games with playoff seeding implications and nearly all first-round matchups were determined at the end of the night, with the exception of two series' in the Western Conference.
But one thing that was on the mind of every fan across the league was, 'who will finish 32nd and have the best odds to draft Connor Bedard?' Well, that was also determined on Thursday night.
Going into Thursday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets held the best odds, but with their win over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim's 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, the Ducks will have the best odds at landing the first overall pick during May 8th's draft lottery.
If Bedard lands in Anaheim, it would form a scary core of players that includes Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, Jamie Drysdale, among other solid prospects they have in their system. Adding Connor Bedard to that core would help accelerate the Ducks to becoming a playoff team quicker than many expected.
Anaheim secures best odds in the upcoming draft lottery.� Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 14, 2023
POLL | ||
AVRIL 14 | 133 ANSWERS Team with best odds to land Connor Bedard has been revealed Would Anaheim be a good fit for Connor Bedard? | ||
Yes | 54 | 40.6 % |
No | 60 | 45.1 % |
See Results | 19 | 14.3 % |
List of polls |