Connor Bedard and 2024 NHL Draft prospect Macklin Celebrini are in different situations as players right now. Bedard is focusing on finishing his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks on a strong note. This is in spite of the team's poor season and failure to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Celebrini, meanwhile, is gearing up to contend for a national championship with Boston University.
However, in June, Celebrini is likely to have an extremely similar experience to Bedard. In fact, it could be a bit of a repeat from last year. The Boston University star is the consensus best player in the 2024 NHL Draft. Barring something unforeseen, he should hear his name called before any other prospect this summer.
Bedard came out of the Western Hockey League as a generational talent. The Blackhawks selected him first overall in 2023 as a result. On Saturday, Chicago's star rookie provided his thoughts on the player who is likely to join him as a top NHL Draft pick.
“I’ve watched some of his highlights and stuff and seen clips and the (IIHF) World Junior (Championship) I watched pretty closely,” Bedard said Saturday, via NHL.com. “He’s a special player and what he’s doing this year is remarkable.”
Macklin Celebrini is a top NHL Draft prospect
Macklin Celebrini hasn't quite generated the type of buzz Connor Bedard did last year. That said, the Boston University star has long established himself as the prospective top pick. In 2022-23, the Vancouver native scored 46 goals and 86 points for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League.
This year, he has helped Boston University compete for the men's college hockey national championship. And he has completely dominated college hockey this year. He scored 31 goals and 59 points in just 35 games in the regular season. Boston University takes on RIT in the first round of the men's hockey tournament on Thursday.
Celebrini isn't necessarily elite at any one trait. However, he plays a complete two-way game with a major focus on defensive play. He has high-end hockey sense, work ethic, and skill that make him a force to be reckoned with. While maybe not a generational talent, he would certainly be a foundational piece to any team picking him in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Macklin Celebrini could join Connor Bedard, Blackhawks
One team Macklin Celebrini could join is the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks are near the bottom of the NHL as of this writing. In fact, if the season ended today, Chicago would receive the second-best odds of landing the first overall pick for the NHL Draft.
It is somewhat unlikely that this will happen. However, it isn't exactly unprecedented. In 2002 and 2003, the Florida Panthers won the NHL Draft Lottery. Florida wound up trading those picks, who ended up becoming Rick Nash and Marc-Andre Fleury.
In more recent history, the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL Draft Lottery in 2010, 2012, and 2015. Edmonton's lottery luck led to a change in the way the lottery is conducted. Now, teams can no longer advance their draft positioning by winning one of the lottery draws more than twice in a five year period.
That five year period begins with the 2022 NHL season. As a result, the Blackhawks could win the lottery this season and pair Macklin Celebrini with Connor Bedard. It's certainly a dream scenario for Chicago, and it could give them one of the most formidable duos for years to come.
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