The San Jose Sharks chose center Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday in Las Vegas.
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Connor Bedard took another step in his path from top pick in the NHL draft to his pro debut with the Chicago Blackhawks. Bedard wore the home red Blackhawks jersey and his new team's full gear on the ice for the first time at the NHL Players' Association's rookie showcase. Even while wearing the jersey Bedard tried to push away the thought of playing his first game for Chicago against childhood idol Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 10. The 18-year-old considered the best prospect since Connor McDavid has his mind set on training camp before games count for real.
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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Adin Hill to a two-year deal worth almost $10 million. Hill backstopped the Golden Knights to their first championship in franchise history after stepping in as an injury replacement in the second round of the playoffs. He won 11 of his 14 starts and had the best save percentage in the postseason.
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The Chicago Blackhawks acquired their latest generational talent along with a big dose of speed in one of the NHL's largest draft hauls. They also made another big move for their future Thursday by adding veteran Corey Perry to help teach No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard how to be the leader the Blackhawks need to contend for a Stanley Cup. Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson says he couldn't be happier with how this draft worked out with 11 players taken. The Anaheim Ducks added a big Swedish center to their young, talented offense in Leo Carlsson at No. 2 overall.
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The Chicago Blackhawks have selected Connor Bedard with the first pick in the NHL draft. The move should kick-start a hopeful new era for Chicago. Bedard is a highly skilled offensive forward who's drawn comparisons to Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby. Bedard is the second No. 1 pick in Blackhawks history. Chicago took Patrick Kane first in 2007 and he helped form the core of a team that won three Stanley Cups.
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Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson can begin building up his roster again after spending much of the past year tearing it down. That process is expected to begin with the Blackhawks selecting forward Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft on Wednesday. Beyond that is when the intrigue begins. The intrigue revolves around when Russian Matvei Michkov is selected, because he is under contract to play in his native Russia through 2025-26. Another question is when the first defenseman goes off the board in what is a top-heavy class of forwards. Anaheim has the second pick, followed by Columbus, San Jose and Montreal.
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The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Taylor Hall in a trade with the Boston Bruins on Monday, putting the veteran forward in line to play with the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft once again. The Blackhawks sent defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Hall and forward Nick Foligno, creating some valuable salary-cap space for the Bruins heading into free agency.
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Matvei Michkov is probably the best hockey prospect out of Russia in nearly a decade. He might be the best since Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in 2005. But Michkov still is no lock to get drafted in the top five because he's still under contract in the KHL for three more seasons. That's giving NHL teams reason to worry he might never make it to North America. The war in Ukraine has also meant the dilemma over Russian players isn't just limited to Michkov because of resulting travel restrictions and international bans that have made scouting more difficult.
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The details of how much time Connor Bedard has devoted to developing his game and imposing shot have become the stuff of lore. Vacations were skipped. Windows were broken. And neighbors awakened by the constant thud of Bedard practicing his shot outside into the night in his driveway. The payoff comes Wednesday, when the 17-year-old from North Vancouver, British Columbia, is expected to be selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft.
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The Chicago Blackhawks won the NHL draft lottery and the chance to take Connor Bedard long before Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly revealed it on national television. The final lottery ball giving the Blackhawks the opportunity to draft Bedard popped out of a machine 80 minutes earlier. The roughly 20 people in the room to witness the drawing were sequestered there without access to phones or other communication devices until Daly revealed the card with the Blackhawks logo. The entire process emceed by Commissioner Gary Bettman is filmed for posterity. Anaheim, San Jose, Arizona, Washington and St. Louis also had a chance down to the final lottery ball.
