(670 The Score) The Blackhawks now have a new face of the franchise and a renewed hope.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft on Wednesday evening in Nashville, the Blackhawks selected highly touted forward Connor Bedard, whom talent evaluators consider to be a generational prospect.
Bedard, who will turn 18 on July 17, is considered by most to be the best prospect to enter the NHL since Connor McDavid went No. 1 overall to the Oilers in 2015. A native of Vancouver, Bedard posted eye-popping numbers for the Regina Pats in the Western Hockey League, scoring 134 goals to go along with 137 assists in 134 games across three seasons. He won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the league’s top player in 2023, when he had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games. A North Vancouver native, Bedard also posted nine goals and 14 assists over seven games with Canada in the World Junior Hockey Championship earlier this year en route to being named the tournament MVP.
The Blackhawks landed the opportunity to select Bedard by winning the NHL Draft lottery back in May. The Ducks owned the best odds at 25.5%, while the Blue Jackets had the second-highest odds at 13.5%. The Blackhawks had the third-best odds with an 11.5% chance of earning the No. 1 pick.
"It's really hard to put into words," Bedard said on the ESPN telecast after the Blackhawks selected him.
"I couldn't be happier, and I'm looking forward to getting started."
The Blackhawks went 26-49-7 and finished in last place in the Central Division this past season. Their 59 points tied for the second-fewest in the NHL. Chicago has made the playoffs just once over the last six years, and that came in the pandemic-altered 2020 campaign, when the postseason was expanded to 24 teams. The Blackhawks would’ve missed the playoffs otherwise.
The Blackhawks announced their intention to rebuild in October 2020 after failing to continue their era of success that included championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The organization has since been stained by a sexual assault scandal, which led to the ouster of general manager Stan Bowman in October 2021, while they've also had prolonged struggled on the ice.
Kyle Davidson was hired by the Blackhawks as their new general manager in March 2022 after he had filled the interim role for about five months. Davidson soon kicked the rebuild into a higher gear, stripping the roster of more veterans last offseason as he stockpiled draft capital. In late February, the Blackhawks traded star winger Patrick Kane to the contending Rangers. The Blackhawks also announced in April that longtime captain Jonathan Toews wouldn’t return to the team for the 2023-’24 season.
The Blackhawks last selected at No. 1 overall in 2007, when they drafted Kane, who went onto to become a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a four-time All-Star and the MVP in 2015-’16 amid a storied 16-year career in Chicago.
With the selection of Bedard, the Blackhawks have now marked an important milestone in their rebuild, landing a player whom they hope can be the cornerstone of a new era for the organization.
At No. 19 overall in the first round, the Blackhawks selected U.S. National Development Program center Oliver Moore, who was considered one of the best skaters in the entire draft. He posted 75 points in 61 games for the U.S. National Development Program last season.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," Moore said on the ESPN telecast of joining Bedard and the Blackhawks.
The second through seventh rounds of the draft will be held Thursday. The Blackhawks hold nine more selections.
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