The rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday night and the right to select consensus No. 1 overall pick, Connor Bedard. The Anaheim Ducks finished second, followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Bedard, 17, is considered a generational talent by many draft experts and the best franchise building block since Connor McDavid went first overall to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.
As draft pundit Craig Button, a former NHL general manager, told ESPN: "I think Connor Bedard changes the fortunes of a franchise."
He was the first Western Hockey League player granted "exceptional status" by Hockey Canada, allowing a 15-year-old Bedard to play full time in the junior league.