The Chicago Blackhawks were neither winners nor losers during Tuesday’s NHL draft lottery.
When the lottery balls settled, the Hawks retained the No. 2 pick, which aligned with their second-best odds at 13.5%.
The San Jose Sharks retained the No. 1 pick and the right to select consensus top prospect Macklin Celebrini.
While the Hawks likely will miss out on the Boston University forward, they’ll have a host of elite prospects from which to choose. Many pundits peg Russian winger Ivan Demidov as the most likely No. 2 pick.
The Hawks will pick second for only the second time in franchise history. They selected forward Andy Culligan in 1965.
The Hawks have eight other selections in this year’s draft, including another first-rounder (No. 20, resulting from a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning) and three second-round picks.
The draft will be held June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas.
