The race is heating up down the stretch of this NHL regular season, with only seven or eight games left for pretty much every team.

No, this race isn’t for a playoff spot, or for the first seed in their division. Quite the opposite, actually. This tight race is the “battle for Bedard”.

Of course, that’s referring to Connor Bedard, the 17-year-old phenom that’s all but guaranteed to be selected with the first overall pick, for whoever is lucky enough to be drawn for it at the NHL Draft Lottery in May. Just about everyone who follows hockey at the professional level is familiar with Bedard’s game, and it’s generally agreed upon that whichever team gets him will be completely changed for at least a decade.

The Competition

Clearly, Bedard is worth fighting for, and that’s what several teams are doing in these last few weeks of the season. The Blackhawks are clearly focused on improving their odds but are joined by the Sharks, Ducks, and Blue Jackets at the bottom of the standings. As of Wednesday before the games, Chicago had the second-fewest points with 54, just one point more than the Blue Jackets with 53 and one less than the Sharks with 55. That puts their odds of securing the first pick at 13.5%. If they were to finish first, that number would jump all the way up to 25.5%. Thus, it’s at least worth keeping an eye on the standings as the teams race to the bottom.

Blackhawks – No Room For Error

With eight games left, the Blackhawks haven’t won in their last six. They’re slated to face a healthy mix of strong teams and weaker ones over the next few weeks but have to be careful with the latter. At this point in the season, if they still want a shot at first overall, they can only afford to win perhaps one more game. Head coach Luke Richardson is putting forth his best effort with the players that are on the ice, but the front office has other ideas. Add to it that Philipp Kurashev was shut down for the year out of an abundance of caution, and Chicago is hurtling toward the bottom of the standings as best as it can.

Blue Jackets – Hanging On For Dear Life

The only team standing in their way is Columbus. The Blue Jackets have politely made the race closer with recent success, namely a pair of overtime wins against the Capitals and Islanders. They seem to be back to their losing ways, though, with recent losses to the Canadiens and Rangers. The Blackhawks will need them to give up some ground in the standings to try to increase their odds of landing Bedard.

Blackhawks fans everywhere have likely had their eyes glued to the bottom of the NHL standings over the past few weeks, and the tight race has delivered in excitement. Just one extra loss could mean doubling a team’s chances at a franchise-altering prospect. With just over two weeks’ worth of games remaining, the “battle for Bedard” is closer than ever.