Chicago selects Connor Bedard 1st overall in NHL draft

Connor Bedard is – officially – a member of Chicago.

The team did the expected Wednesday night and selected the 17-year-old phenom with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft.

Bedard heading for the Windy City had been all but certain after Chicago moved up two places to win the lottery from May.

The five-foot-10, 185-pound center with a bullet shot and awe-inspiring skill tore up the Western Hockey League with 143 points in 57 games for the Regina Pats in 2022-23.

Bedard also led Canada to gold with a record-breaking performance at the Junior Hockey World Cup, winning a number of individual awards in a memorable season that culminated on the Bridgestone Arena podium.

LOOK | Bedard selected by Chicago with No. 1 pick:

Named in the same breath as the talents of previous generations including Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby, the North Vancouver product joins a Chicago team that has parted ways with franchise icons and three-time Stanley Cup champions Patrick Kane in recent months and Jonathan Toews.

Chicago made an important move in the pre-draft days to support Bedard’s transition to the NHL by acquiring veteran forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins.

Foligno, 35, then signed a one-year contract extension instead of getting unlimited free service. The 31-year-old Hall, who was the top pick in 2010 and won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2018, has two years left on his current contract.

Ducks take Carlsson 2nd, Fantilli goes 3rd to Columbus

The Anaheim Ducks, who finished with the league’s worst record in 2022–23, nabbed Swedish center Leo Carlsson second overall before the Columbus Blue Jackets selected University of Michigan counterpart Adam Fantilli—a Nobleton, Ont. , and Bedard’s world junior teammate – at No. 3.

The San Jose Sharks nabbed American center Will Smith with the fourth pick.

It was the Montreal Canadiens’ turn to select Austrian defenseman David Reinbacher to finish the top-5 of a deep draft on the forward.

Considered by many to be the second best player in the draft behind Bedard, Matvei Michkov slipped off the board to the number 7 Philadelphia Flyers, largely due to his pro contract with the Russia-based KHL that could delay his NHL arrival with a few years – or longer.

Bedard’s coronation – just steps from Nashville’s famed Broadway strip where country music starts blaring at 11 a.m. and the party doesn’t end until the wee hours – opens the next chapter in one of the most watched young hockey careers in the world. world.

Bedard would turn 18 on July 17 and started getting national attention five years ago.

He was given exceptional status for becoming the first player to enter the WHL at the age of 15.

Bedard scored 51 goals and 100 points in 62 appearances as a 16-year-old in 2021-22 before finding the back of the net 71 times in a 2022-23 campaign that often looked like the sniper was just playing with the opposition .

He set national and tournament records in the world juniors this year with 14 assists and 23 points in just seven games en route to becoming showcase event MVP.

The day began with a number of no-draft moves, including the New Jersey Devils signing pending restricted free agent Timo Meier to an eight-year contract extension before the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired winger Reilly Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third round in 2024. .

Vegas then signed pending unrestricted free agent Ivan Barbashev to a five-year contract extension.