The 2023 NHL Draft is approaching rather quickly, sitting less than 8 weeks away now, and tonight the NHL Draft Lottery will take place to determine where the non-playoff teams will make their selections.
The lottery will begin at 8:00pm ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. It will be held and broadcast from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.
For the Philadelphia Flyers, they maintain the 7th-best odds at securing the top pick in the draft. They have a 6.5% chance at landing the pick that will undoubtedly be used on Regina Pats standout Connor Bedard, the most generationally hyped draft prospect since Connor McDavid.
Other top prospects in the draft include the University of Michigan’s Adam Fantilli, Örebro HK’s Leo Carlsson, SKA Saint Petersburg’s Matvei Michkov, and Boston College commit Will Smith, among others.
Philadelphia has a 6.7% chance at securing the second pick, a 0.2% chance at securing the third pick, a 44.4% chance of staying with the seventh pick, a 36.5% chance of falling to the eighth pick, and a 5.6% chance of falling to the ninth pick.
The Anaheim Ducks maintain the top odds of the first overall pick at 18.5% after finishing dead last in the NHL standings this year. The Columbus Blue Jackets (13.5%), Chicago Blackhawks (11.5%), San Jose Sharks (9.5%), Montréal Canadiens (8.5%), and Arizona Coyotes (7.5%) stand at two through six in the pecking order, respectively.
ALL FIRST OVERALL PICK ODDS
Anaheim Ducks – 18.5%
Columbus Blue Jackets – 13.5%
Chicago Blackhawks – 11.5%
San Jose Sharks – 9.5%
Montréal Canadiens – 8.5%
Arizona Coyotes – 7.5%
Philadelphia Flyers – 6.5%
Washington Capitals – 6%
Detroit Red Wings – 5%
St. Louis Blues – 3.5%
Vancouver Canucks – 3%
Ottawa Senators – 2.5%
Buffalo Sabres – 2%
Pittsburgh Penguins – 1.5%
Calgary Flames – 0.5%
Nashville Predators – 0.5%
Should the Flyers surprisingly win the lottery for the first pick, it would be the first time in franchise history the team has actually earned a first overall pick. Philadelphia picked first overall just once previously in 1975 (Mel Bridgman), but they traded Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick (Don Forsyth) for the first pick from the Washington Capitals after winning their second Stanley Cup.
If the Flyers end up picking second, it would be the first time since 2017 (Nolan Patrick) they end up in that position and third time overall (2007, James van Riemsdyk).
A third overall selection would be a first in franchise history for Philadelphia, though their 0.2% odds of getting that pick are the worst of any selection they’re eligible to earn.
If the Flyers stay at seven, it would be the first time selecting there since 2015 (Ivan Provorov) and fifth time ever (1992 – Ryan Sittler, 1978 – Ken Linseman, 1972 – Bill Barber).
Should the Flyers fall to the eighth pick, it would mark their first time picking in that spot since 2011 (Sean Couturier) and only the fourth time in team history (1971 – Larry Wright, 1968 – Lew Morrison).
If the Flyers fall to their maximum landing point at nine, it would be the first time since 1971 that Philadelphia selects a player in that draft position (Pierre Plante).
