The Chicago Blackhawks parted ways with Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik during the offseason.

Heading into the trade deadline, they moved out Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Jake McCabe and others.

Whether that was an intentional way to finish as low as possible because generational talent Connor Bedard is the prize for the team that wins the draft lottery or merely an aggressive rebuild, the result is the same: The Blackhawks were in last place on the morning of March 31, with two weeks left in the season.

In the last two weeks, the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets also have been in last place, but San Jose has won two in a row and Columbus picked up a point against the No. 1 overall Boston Bruins on Thursday while Chicago lost for the seventh time in a row. Columbus has a game in hand.

The draft lottery winner can move up only 10 spots this year, so the bottom 11 teams have a shot at Bedard. Here's a look at the teams with the best odds (statistics are as of March 30; this file will be updated at various points during the season).

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Who's Connor Bedard?

Bedard, who entered the Western Hockey League draft early as a 15-year-old, has put up big numbers while playing against older players. He has an elite-level shot and topped North American skaters in Central Scouting's midseason rankings. The 17-year-old was named world junior championships MVP after getting 23 points in seven games for gold medalist Canada. The Regina (Saskatchewan) Pats' 5-10, 185-pound center finished the regular season with a league-best 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games. The Pats will open their playoff series against Saskatoon on Friday.

What are the draft lottery odds for Connor Bedard?

Chicago Blackhawks – 75 GP, 24-45-6, 54 pts., .360. Odds: 25.5%

Columbus Blue Jackets – 74 GP, 23-43-8, 54 pts., .365. Odds: 13.5%

Anaheim Ducks – 75 GP, 23-42-10, 56 pts., .373. Odds: 11.5%

San Jose Sharks – 75 GP, 21-39-15, 57 pts., .380. Odds: 9.5%

Montreal Canadiens – 76 GP, 30-40-6, 66 pts., .434, Odds: 8.5%

Arizona Coyotes – 75 GP, 27-35-13, 67 pts., .447. Odds: 7.5%

Philadelphia Flyers – 74 GP, 29-32-13, 71 pts., .480. Odds: 6.5%

Vancouver Canucks – 74 GP, 34-34-6, 74 pts., .500. Odds: 6.0%

Detroit Red Wings – 73 GP, 33-32-9, 75 pts., .507. Odds: 5.0%

St. Louis Blues – 75 GP, 35-34-6, 76 pts., .507. Odds: 3.5%

Washington Capitals – 76 GP, 34-33-9, 77 pts., .507. Odds: 3.0%

What's the biggest recent news among teams in the Connor Bedard watch?

A day after they dropped to the NHL basement, the Blackhawks said captain Jonathan Toews could return Saturday vs. the Devils. He has been out since since late January because of the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome. Toews had returned to practice on Tuesday. Coach Luke Richardson said Toews told him he feels a lot better, though not perfect. "I said, 'You'll help us in the faceoff circle and just having the captain around will be a good lift for the team," Richardson said. "I hope for him, too."

What other news is happening among Connor Bedard watch teams?

Blue Jackets defenseman Billy Sweezey, a Massachusetts native playing his third NHL game at age 27, fought Boston's Jakub Lauzo at TD Garden on Thursday, thrilling his parents. ... The Ducks dropped a spot in the standings, losing for the sixth time in a row. They fell to the Kraken while playing without their top two scorers. Trevor Zegras is injured and Troy Terry is out for personal reasons. ... Sharks defenseman Henry Thrun, who recently played for Harvard, had two assists in his NHL debut in Thursday's win against the Golden Knights. The team announced that forward William Eklund had season-ending surgery shoulder to repair a torn labrum. ... Canadiens forward Sean Farrell scored his first NHL goal in his second game since leaving Harvard. ... Coyotes forward Clayton Keller extended his point streak to 13 games with an assist on Monday against the Oilers. ... The Flyers overcame a 4-1 third-period deficit to force overtime vs. the Senators on Thursday. Though they lost, their point streak reached seven games, matching a similar run in December 2021. ... Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek, a trade deadline acquisition, isn't likely to play for the rest of the year. "I want him to get his shoulder stronger," coach Rick Tocchet said of Hronek, who played only four games after being acquired. ... Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves to beat the Hurricanes for the third time since they traded him to Detroit in 2021. ... Blues forward Jakub Vrana scored his ninth goal in 13 games since arriving from the Red Wings in a trade. ... The Capitals have dropped into Bedard territory with a 1-4-2 slide.

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When is the NHL draft lottery?

The draft lottery is scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. ET on May 8 and will be shown on ESPN. There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. The last-place team would also get the top pick if a team ranked 12th to 16th in the standings wins the first drawing. University of Michigan forward Adam Fantilli, who's 6-2, 195, could go No. 2 overall. Swedish forward Leo Carlsson, who's 6-3, 198, is Central Scouting's top-ranked international skater.

What happened the last time there was this much excitement about a draft prospect?

That was Connor McDavid's draft year with the Erie Otters in 2015, when he had 120 points in 47 games. The Sabres finished last with 54 points and the Coyotes had 56, but the Oilers (62) won the draft lottery and chose McDavid. The Sabres drafted Jack Eichel and the Coyotes chose Dylan Strome, both of whom have since been traded.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Connor Bedard watch: Who has best odds to win NHL draft lottery?