NHL Tankathon: Which teams are the frontrunners to land the first-overall pick

While frowned upon in some circles, the NHL Tankathon is one of the most important aspects of each season. Even though some draft classes are weaker than others, the desire to hold the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft is something that nearly every team covets.

"Spun the draft lottery simulator at tankathon. I'd be happy with this." - NHL Watcher

Although teams won't admit that they are openly losing games on purpose, the NHL Tankathon is widely known and generally accepted by fans across the league. While it can be frustrating to watch your favorite team fail to dress an NHL-caliber roster, drafting a generational talent can make fans quickly forget the failures of the past.

While losing as many games as possible to help teams increase their odds of landing the first pick, some rules have been implemented to attempt to reduce active losing. Now, instead of guaranteeing the last-place team the first pick, the draft lottery has encouraged more competitiveness for teams.

"The draft lottery on May 8 will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks. We'll wait until the Stanley Cup is awarded in June for the remainder of the selections to be ordered. Sam Cosentino shares his March 2023 NHL Draft Rankings." - Sportsnet

Under current draft lottery rules, all 16 teams that miss the playoffs are entered into the lottery, however, only the bottom 11 teams are eligible to land the first pick. The last-place team, while they do have the best odds, only has a 25.5% chance of landing the first pick.

Several teams have clearly committed to the NHL Tankathon in an attempt to land the top pick in the 2023 Draft, including the Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. As of today, those three teams are the favorites to land the top three picks in the draft, with the Blue Jackets having the highest odds of landing the first pick.

One of the ways that teams have been able to help their odds in the NHL Tankathon has been trading away their star players, much like the Chicago Blackhawks have done by moving the likes of Patrick Kane and Max Domi.

Connor Bedard has made this year's NHL Tankathon justifiable

While fans may not like seeing teams openly lose games, top prospect Connor Bedard may make them change their minds. The talented forward appears destined to become the next superstar, with the potential to completely change the future of the franchise that is able to draft him.

"2023 NHL Draft: Connor Bedard watch" - NHL.com

While it's unfair to compare players that have never played a game in the NHL to current superstars, it's fair to say that Bedard could be a franchise-altering player in the likes of Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid. Not saying he will be at their level, but his inclusion on a roster may spur a new era for these bottom teams.