When is the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery?

Washington Capitals (Photo by Andy Marlin/Getty Images for NHLI)
Washington Capitals (Photo by Andy Marlin/Getty Images for NHLI)

The Washington Capitals actually have one playoff game this spring and that’s on May 8 during the NHL Draft Lottery at 7 p.m. eastern on ESPN. They have the eighth best odds with a six percent chance of landing the number one pick to draft Connor Bedard. Some experts have the Caps finishing with a top 3.

That’s what the late season tank and trade but don’t make it too obvious came from.

From the official press release from the NHL:

The National Hockey League announced today the odds for clubs participating in the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, set for Monday, May 8, at NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studio. The event will be broadcast live beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports.The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Participants are all teams that did not qualify for the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the teams that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams).REMINDER: The NHL announced changes to the Draft Lottery format on March 23, 2021. Among the changes instituted in 2022 is a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery can “move up” in the event it wins one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds will be eligible to receive the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Again here are the official odds:

Anaheim Ducks 18.5 percent

Columbus Blue Jackets 13.5 percent

Chicago Blackhawks 11.5 percent

San Jose Sharks 9.5 percent

Montreal Canadiens 8.5 percent

Arizona Coyotes 7.5 percent

Philadelphia Flyers 6.5 percent

Washington Capitals 6 percent

Detroit Red Wings 5 percent

St. Louis Blues 3.5 percent

Ottawa Senators or Coyotes 2.5 percent

Buffalo Sabres 2 percent

Pittsburgh Penguins 1.5 percent

Nashville Predators 0.5 percent

Calgary Flames 0.5 percent

light. Related Story. NHL Stanley Cup Winners: Full List & History

The fact the Caps have better odds of getting the number one pick than not only the Penguins but also the Blues, Red Wings, Canucks, and Predators is pretty good. May the odds be in their favor.