We have just witnessed quite a turnaround in the Connor Bedard draft lottery

The end of the NHL season offers some exciting races. There's one that aims to determine which teams will qualify for the next playoffs, and another one that will determine who will have the best chances of winning the Connor Bedard lottery.

While the first one is always exciting, the second race has taken an unexpected turn.

According to the lottery rules, the difference in terms of percentage of chances of obtaining the first overall pick between the 32nd, 31st and 30th positions is quite significant. It goes from 25.5% to 13.5% to 11.5%. Moving from one position to another makes a big difference.

That's exactly what's happening as the two teams that were at the bottom of the standings for most of the season are starting to win and accumulate points. Indeed, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets are climbing up the rankings. The race for the last spot has suddenly become a three-team battle as the Anaheim Ducks join the fray.



As for the Canadiens, they could still move up at least one spot in the overall standings, ahead of the Coyotes, and thus go from 8.5% to 7.5% chance of drafting first overall. It will depend as much on their performance in the next two games as on that of the Coyotes in their last game, which will be at home.

We will have a better idea of each team's chances in a few days as the NHL season draws to a close. The lottery draw will take place on May 8th, at 7:00 p.m., live on television.