Tough decisions ahead for Blades despite strong start to season
33m ago
The Blades are third in the eastern conference with a record of 11-5-1-1.
The NHL entry draft isn’t until June, but Connor Bedard’s destination will likely be determined Monday during the draft lottery.
The Regina Pats superstar is the consensus top prospect and Anaheim Ducks hold the best odds (18.5 per cent) of landing the opportunity to draft him first overall.
Despite the hype surrounding the 17-year-old phenom, Bedard has continuously downplayed his status as a generational talent and the projections of being the top selection at the draft table this summer.
“I’ve said 100 times, no one knows who’s going No. 1,” the 17-year-old center said in April.
“I think, for the lottery, I’ll watch it as a fan. If I am fortunate enough to go No. 1, that’s awesome. But there are so many great players in the draft and I’m sure the team that gets that spot or the top pick will be looking at a bunch of guys and have a tough decision with this talent in the draft.”
The draft lottery will determine order of picks for the clubs that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The entry draft is scheduled to be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on June 28.
Tune into the Green Zone at 6 p.m. for special coverage of the NHL draft lottery with host Jamie Nye.