Two teams are deliberately going bust for Connor Bedard

Looking ahead to the 2023 NHL Draft, Connor Bedard is the projected first overall pick and we get why he is hard to pass up. And apparently, two teams in the NHL will do everything they can to win the Bedard sweepstakes: finishing dead last to get the most chances to win the draft lottery and select him first.

That’s according to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek who believes both the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks are both treating this season as Connor Bedard or bust.

The Blackhawks are expected by many fans to be the worst team in the league this season, but the Coyotes are certainly the biggest threat to Chicago’s draft lottery odds.

The Coyotes surrendered the second-most goals last season and have lost Phil Kessel, who put up 52 points last year for Arizona. Things do not look good in the desert - no need to explain how terrible the arena setup is - and they could finish at the bottom of the standings with the chance to select Bedard and crown him their new saviour. The Coyotes kicked off their season on Thursday and lost 6-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

But let’s not forget how the Blackhawks finished with 68 points last year. There is a feeling that GM Kyle Davidson’s plan is to tank this season as it seems to be part of the long-term plan currently in place. Then, Bedard would come in to set the stage for the rebuilding and get the Hawks back as contenders - ones we formally called a dynasty.

The Blackhawks lost their first game of 2022-23 at the hands of the defending champions Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday. They then lost 1-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights last night. We will have to keep watching this season to see if the Coyotes get to be the Hawks biggest threat for the bottom spot in the NHL standings and the best odds at landing Bedard at the next draft.

What about the Montreal Canadiens or Seattle Kraken?