Connor Bedard and the Canadiens: the verdict has just been officially announced ahead of the huge 2023 lottery

Kent Hughes and the Habs will officially have an 8.5% chance of drafting first overall in the upcoming draft and thus getting their hands on the talented generational talent that is Bedard.

With a win against the Bruins, it could have fallen to 7.5%.

But there's more. Why was this loss against Boston so necessary?

Because passing the Arizona Coyotes in the NHL standings would have drastically lowered the Habs' chances of drafting in the top-5 (from 41.8% to 15.4%)

This would have been major, especially since according to several experts, there is a clear top-6 in this draft. After the top-6, the level of talent drops significantly.

With tonight's loss against Boston, the Habs have practically secured one of the following immense talents:

- Connor Bedard
- Adam Fantilli
- Matvei Michkov
- Leo Carlsson
- Will Smith
- Zach Benson

After these six names, there is a big difference.

In short, the verdict has just been announced! The Montreal Canadiens have an 8.5% chance of drafting first overall in the 2023 draft!