If there is one word I could use to describe the Washington Capitals 2022-23 season it’s the word purgatory. That’s where the Capitals are right now. They aren’t quite out of the playoff race but they are hanging by a thread. As much as you don’t want to hear it, losing out the rest of this season would help the team out in the long run. The more they lose the better their chances at the Connor Bedard sweepstakes. But who is he?
Connor Bedard was born on July 17, 2005 born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He currently plays for the junior team Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. The Canadian center was selected by the Pats first overall in the WHL Bantam Draft in 2020 as the first WHL player of exceptional status. He won the Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie player in his debut season.
He is eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft and is projected to be the number one pick. The question is which team will be lucky enough to win the lottery and be able to have that pick?
Per Daily Face Off, the Capitals have the 10th best odds at landing the number one pick in the draft through games played March 9. That is a 3.5 percent chance. The Detroit Red Wings are just behind them while the St. Louis Blues are in front of them.
At the top of that list are the following five teams in order from 1 through 5: Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and Arizona Coyotes.
The kid is only 17 but has already shown he can win on the big stage. He won championships with the Canadian national under 18 team in 2021 as well as the Canadian national junior team in 2022 and 2023. His performance in the 2023 tournament set several national and international points records and led to him being named the MVP.
With the Regina Pats this season Bedard has recorded 60 goals and 64 assists for 124 points in 49 games. In the WJC he had nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in seven games. In the WHL this season he is on pace to score 70 goals.
I’m not saying the Caps should lose but it wouldn’t be the worst thing if the ping pong balls once again fell into their favor.