The Daily: Trouble in Toronto; Any Lottery Luck for the Blackhawks?

See it might not be all bad for the Chicago Blackhawks. Sure, not winning the Draft Lottery tonight (7pm CST) would have them miss out on a generational player in the mold of Connor McDavid. But at least they’re not down 3-0 to a team their fans chanted for.

More on that in a second.

The Blackhawks, like 10 other teams will tonight wait with baded breath to see if their numbers hit. We’ve been through this before–the odds are not in their favor. Then again, most odds really aren’t in anyone’s favor. Even though Anaheim sits with a 25% chance of getting Bedard, they have a 55.7% chance of picking third.

The biggest difference now is one less pull for a team, instead of three draws there’s just two while severely limiting the number of spots a team can jump.

All the speculation ends tonight. Might Chicago hit the jackpot?

Panthers Do it Again, Toronto On the Brink

The Florida Panthers escaped a 3-1 hole against Boston. Can Toronto wriggle out of a 3-0 one? The Panthers rallied again, twice to be exact–and then buried Toronto in overtime with a 3-2 win. Worse, Ilya Samsonov left with an injury so Toronto may have to overcome two big deficits.

It’s been a long 56 years for Toronto. If they flame out in four, it might feel like 500 years this offseason.

Panthers fans with the "We want Florida" chant 😳 pic.twitter.com/rGuQWFqTqS

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 8, 2023

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

• Five Thoughts as the Draft Lottery Descends tonight
• Tyler Johnson had a great bounce back year. The latest in the Blackhawks Bottom Line series

Hockey Now Network

Boston:  It seems that big changes may be afoot in Boston: Boston Bruins

Buffalo: Axel Sandin-Pellikka may be a target for the Sabres in the draft: Buffalo Sabres

Colorado: How do the NHL deadline trades look now after a first round exit? Colorado Avalanche

Detroit: Jake Walman had a break out year. Here’s a look at the whole picture: Detroit Red Wings

Florida: Anthony Duclair set the tone for the Panthers’ Game 3 win: Florida Panthers

New York: A welcome letter from Andrew Fantucchio who is new lead writer for NYI Hockey Now: New York Islanders

San Jose: Brent Burns could be an early front runner for the Conn Smythe–if they get that far: San Jose Sharks

Washington: The Capitals could cash in with Ivan Miroschnichenko’s high ceiling. Washington Capitals

Vegas: Bad Moons rising after both Games 1 and 2 for the Golden Knights…even with a 1-1 series. Vegas Golden Knights