Top 3 ways the NHL 2024 Draft Lottery hurt the Blackhawks

Rebuild will theoretically take longer on many levels

It’s highly unlikely at this point that the second-overall pick would see NHL ice full-time (not that it couldn’t happen), and that alone will delay the rebuild. Not only would the rebuild have sped up with Celebrini in the organization, his presence would have catapulted it. 

No, the Blackhawks wouldn’t have made the playoffs. In fact, they wouldn’t have even been a top 10 team in the Western Conference, but finishing the season with between 70 and 80 points would have ignited this fan base that is beginning to starve once again for a winner. 

While Celebrini technically isn’t officially a San Jose Shark just yet, there’s a 100 percent chance that general manager Mike Grier won’t hesitate to call his name on June 28th. That said, not only will we be unable to witness what could have been the NHL’s next great one-two combo in so many ways, now we’re potentially looking at a 60-70-point season, even with Bedard taking what should be a huge leap in Year 2. 

Look for the second-overall pick to likely join Bedard starting in 2025-26, and the rebuild will really take off. But, securing the rights to draft Celebrini would have put the franchise a year ahead of schedule.