Celebrini Sweepstakes: Blackhawks Hope To Win Draft Lottery For Second Straight Year on Tuesday Night

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the odds last season when they won the NHL Draft Lottery on May 8, and then went on to select Connor Bedard in the draft in Nashville on June 28.

Can the Blackhawks do it again in 2024?

Connor Bedard in action last season.

Actually, they have slightly better odds than in 2023. Chicago finished with the third-worst record last year and an 11.5% percent chance of winning the lottery. Even with Bedard in the lineup, the Blackhawks dropped to second-worst in 2023-24 and have a 13.5% chance of winning on Tuesday night.

Chicago is trying to become the first team with back-to-back No. 1 draft picks since the Edmonton Oilers had three straight in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Celebrini Would Be Terrific With Bedard

Macklin Celebrini, a power forward who had a terrific 32-goal, 64-point freshman season at Boston University, is the presumptive top pick in 2024. He went on to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA player.

Celebrini, still just 17, has joined Canada’s team at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Czechia along with Bedard.

Having both Bedard and Celebrini in the same lineup in Chicago would considerably accelerate the Blackhawks’ rebuild. It would give the team two foundational star forwards — ones with different, complementary styles — like Chicago had with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as is won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

If you go further back, compare it to the era of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, who led strong Blackhawks teams in the 1960s.

Even if the Blackhawks don’t win the lottery, expect them to focus on finding a high-skilled forward for long-term help. Chicago can do no worse than the fourth pick in 2024.

The group of top prospects heading into the 2024 draft is dominated by defensemen. Davidson says the Blackhawks will select the best player available regardless of his position.

If the Blackhawks don’t win the 2024 lottery and the right to draft Celebrini, they could be in line to pursue Russian forward Ivan Demidov. The 18-year-old came on strong in the second half of the 2023-24 season and has been compared to Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, the NHL’s leading scorer in 2024 and Hart Trophy finalist.