Tankathon Matchup as Blackhawks visit the Sharks Tonight

In a few hours (very late game, puck drop just after 10:30 PM EDT) the Blackhawks will continue their California trip with a visit to the SAP Center in San Jose. Having just played the Sharks on March 17th the Hawks will likely be eager to play a team they just beat 5-2.

In said game the Blackhawks would score 5 unanswered after going down 2-0 at the end of the 1st period. Connor Bedard, Tyler Johnson, and Phillip Kurashev would each snag 2 points in the win which would be Chicago's 3rd win in 4 games during that stretch last week.

The season for both franchises have gone about as expected as both are at the bottom of the league standings late in the campaign. San Jose (39pts) and Chicago (43pts) have all but locked up the top 2 odds for the 2024 Draft. Macklin Celebrini, the #1 prospect and likely top selection, might be keen to watch the matchup this evening.

A Chicago win could lock in the 2nd best odds for the upcoming draft lottery, however a loss could make it just a two point difference with 11 games left to play. The best odds would be a 25.5% chance at #1 (and a guaranteed top 3 pick) while the 2nd best odds would be a 13.5% chance at #1 (and a guaranteed top 4 pick). While neither one of those odds give the #1 pick to a team (far from it) it's the guarantee of a top 3 or 4 pick that is the important part at this moment.

The upcoming draft is unlike the prior one as it does not have 3 legitimate players that could go #1 in any given draft year. Instead it offers 1 such player (Celebrini) and 5-7 players that should be considered for picks 2-4. Will either of these franchises get the #1 pick? That day will come later, but the narrative of the guarantee of a top 3 or top 4 pick could happen tonight.