Why Macklin Celebrini going to the Chicago Blackhawks would be good for the NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks have the second-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick in tonight's NHL Draft Lottery.

If the Hawks manage to have the ping-pong balls bounce their way for the second-straight year, that will give them the chance to select Macklin Celebrini.

He is considered the consensus top prospect in this year's draft. Celebrini might not be the type of prospect as Connor Bedard, but the Hawks getting the chance to draft him will accelerate the team's rebuild timeline exponentially.

Here is the problem, it is extremely unlikely those two will be scoring goals together.

They should be. The NHL needs these two playing together. It would be great for the game to put together two players who can put the puck in the back of the net.

The NHL is not going to rig the draft lottery no matter what people think happened last year. It could not hurt to have the Hawks envelope warmed up so it is the right pulled out.

The NHL is still operating in a time that only stagnates the game. It is a league that still thinks revolving around Toronto is a good idea. 38.9 million people live in Canada, but the game's popularity does not grow if the 330 million plus in the United States consider hockey a niche sport.

Having the Chicago Blackhawks not only being good, but having attractions at the gate makes the game even more popular.

You are not going to get Victor Wembanyama to meet with Connor Bedard if he is playing in Edmonton. Connor McDavid is an absolute star and should be recognized anywhere he goes. Yet, playing in the great white north makes him less of a star.

Sending Celebrini to say San Jose is not a good idea. Granted he will be playing in the Bay Area but it will not be San Fransisco. Putting the Sharks in San Jose is another reason why the league has been short-sighted. If you want to be in the Bay Area, you should go to San Fran, not the third city of three neighbor cities.

The NHL will thrive with Celebrini and Bedard together. Thriving is not exactly what the NHL does wel.