All eyes in the NHL world are on ping pong balls tonight. That’s right. It’s the NHL Draft Lottery tonight at 8 p.m. on ESPN and your Washington Capitals have a six percent chance at landing the number one pick which will be Connor Bedard.
Overall the Caps have the eighth best odds. Not too low. Not too high. Just right. We know a thing or two about the number eight.
Speaking of the number eight, how will Alex Ovechkin fare if the Caps were to win the lottery? Would he be excited or nervous since he gets a lot of the spotlight in this area already.
If I’m Ovechkin I understand the importance and the significance of this pick. Bedard could bridge the gap between the Rock the Red era and the dreadful upcoming post Ovechkin era. Of course, Bedard would still have plenty of years left in him when Ovi does decide to hang up his skates.
But perhaps the biggest thing about winning the lottery tonight isn’t necessarily landing Bedard but the salary cap flexibility that would come with signing him to an entry level contract.
It would also give the Caps one out of two new top six forwards meaning General Manager Brian MacLellan would have to add one more. But the salary cap flexibility also means he can tinker the roster in other areas and not necessarily sell off veterans like he did at the deadline.
Bedard has a five foot 10 frame and weighs 185 pounds. For WHL Regina, he scored 71 goals and 143 points. He also won MVP of the World Juniors tournament.
Five short years ago which now feels like an eternity, the Caps became the toast of the town by winning the Stanley Cup. As this past season wound down and the Caps fire sale commenced, so did fan apathy. Whether it was a few pockets of empty seats or flooded with opposing fans like the pre Rock the Red era, it was pretty bad.
Adding Bedard would spike jersey and ticket sales. Ratings would go back up (not that ratings were an issue anyway, I could listen to Joe B and Locker for hours). And fans will be energized and ready to go all in.
Tonight could be another franchise changing moment for the Capitals. May the ping pong balls be in their favor.