BLOG: Blackhawks Top Draft Pick to Be Revealed Tuesday, May 7

Nearly one year ago, it was the event that changed the trajectory of the Blackhawks franchise, and on Tuesday, May 7, the organization will once again learn where their first-round pick falls during the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery.

The Draft Lottery will begin at 5:30 p.m. CT, airing on ESPN in the U.S., as well as Sportsnet and TVA in Canada.

By finishing with the second-worst record in the league this season, Chicago's first-round pick cannot fall lower than No. 4 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft through the lottery process.

LOTTERY PROCESS

There are two drawings as part of the lottery to determine the first- and second-overall picks in the 2024 NHL Draft. Team odds are slotted in inverse of the final regular-season standings, so that the worst-finishing teams have the highest odds at the top selections.

The first drawing, should it be won by a team currently seeded from 1-11, would mean that team wins the No. 1 overall selection in June. A team can move up a maximum of 10 selections through the Draft Lottery process, meaning that should a team ranked from 12-16 entering the night win the first drawing, they would move up 10 spots in the order (e.g. a team ranked No. 14 would move up to No. 4) and San Jose would by default retain the No. 1 overall pick. 

Next, the second drawing will repeat the same process with the same parameters to determine the No. 2 overall pick. The odds for the remaining teams will increase on a proportionate basis for the second draw, based on which team wins the first.

From there, teams get slotted based on the inverse order of the final regular-season standings.

ONE YEAR AGO

The Blackhawks entered the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery as the league's third worst team during the 2022-23 regular season, and carried 11.5% odds in winning the No. 1 overall pick -- two percentage points lower than their odds this year. Out of 1,001 possibly lottery ball combinations in the first drawing a year ago, the drawn numbers of 5-4-13-9 matched one of Chicago's possible winning combinations, awarding the Blackhawks the first-overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. 

With the pick, Chicago drafted Connor Bedard at No. 1 overall, just the second player ever taken with the top pick in franchise history (Patrick Kane, 2007).

Just eight days shy of the anniversary of the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery (May 8, 2023), Bedard was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the league's top rookie after pacing all NHL rookies in goals (22) and points (61). He was tied for or led the Blackhawks in goals, assists (39) and points in his first year.

PICK HISTORY

• If the Blackhawks were to move up in the lottery for the second year in a row to select No. 1 overall, it would be just the third time in franchise history the team selected at the top spot (Connor Bedard, 2023; Patrick Kane, 2007)
• If San Jose wins the first lottery drawing and Chicago wins the second lottery drawing to maintain their current No. 2 spot entering the Draft Lottery, it would be just the second time the franchise has ever selected at No. 2 (Andy Culligan, 1965).
• If the team drops to No. 3 overall, it would be the seventh time in franchise history Chicago selects a player in that spot. (Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews, Cam Barker, Eddie Olczyk, Denis Savard and Terry Caffery).
• If Chicago drops to the No. 4 overall pick, the selected player would become the second player to be drafted in that spot, (Richie Bayes, 1964).

2024 NHL DRAFT

Heading into this year's draft, the Blackhawks currently hold with nine picks across all seven rounds, and are tied for the league-high with seven picks in the first three rounds of the draft.

In the first round, Chicago will have their natural first-round pick as well as Tampa Bay's first round pick, which currently sits at No. 20 overall, but could improve to No. 19 overall if the Vegas Golden Knights or the New York Islanders reach the conference finals in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, or No. 18 overall if both teams make the conference finals.

The Blackhawks hold their own second-round pick, as well as second-round selections from the Vancouver Canucks and the LA Kings. Chicago holds its own third-round selection, plus that of Ottawa.