Ladies and gentlemen, the balls have spoken. Lottery balls, that is.
The Red Wings fell to the the slot they were most likely to end up. Detroit will pick ninth in the NHL Draft in addition to another first-rounder (via VAN/NYI) and a handful of second-round picks. The odds weren’t in Steve Yzerman’s favor – his chance at winning the Connor Bedard sweepstakes was just five-percent. Still, it’s a sense of disappointment for Wings fans. It’s what most of us expected but I can’t help but feel extra bitter about this one – because of who ended up winning the lottery. (surprise, this site is not for Blackhawks fans)
Here are the picks
Pick 1: Chicago Blackhawks
Pick 2: Anaheim Ducks
Pick 3: Columbus Blue Jackets
Pick 4: San Jose Sharks
Pick 5: Montreal Canadiens
Pick 6: Arizona Coyotes
Pick 7: Philadelphia Flyers
Pick 8: Washington Capitals
Pick 9: Detroit Red Wings
Pick 10: St. Louis Blues
Pick 11: Vancouver Canucks
Pick 12: Arizona Coyotes (via OTT)
Pick 13: Buffalo Sabres
Pick 14: Pittsburgh Penguins
Pick 15: Nashville Predators
Pick 16: Calgary Flames
The 2023 NHL Draft is expected to happen June 28-29. There are dozens of players that could be had at ninth overall that would be major additions to the system. Steve Yzerman and his front office have nearly two months to get their lists in order.. Or maybe they’re already in order and have been for a while. shrug
WIIM will be profiling some players that are within reach at ninth overall. Stay tuned.
