Connor Bedard Sweepstakes: Here are the teams competing with the Blackhawks for the 2023 No. 1 pick

The Chicago Blackhawks finished with 68 points last season. They finished second in their division behind the Arizona Coyotes. The Blackhawks are not going to be a good team in the 2022-23 season, but that's part of the long-term plan of GM Kyle Davidson.

Montreal, Ottawa, Buffalo, Colorado and Toronto are the last five NHL teams with the lowest point totals from the full 82-game schedule. Chicago is looking for a team with a higher point total and the best odds at landing Connor Bedard in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The teams competing with the Blackhawks for the 2023 No. 1 pick are: 25-50-7, (57 points), 25, 50-57-8, 25 and 25. Clayton Keller led the team in scoring last season with 63 points (28 G, 35 A). Nick Schmaltz scored 59 points in 63 games. Phil Kessel was third with 52 points last year. Arizona scored the fewest goals in the league last term and surrendered the second-most.

Buffalo Sabres have not made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. Owen Power is set for a full NHL season after an 8-game stint in the spring.

Montreal Canadiens had the league-worst record last season. They have some promising young players, including Juraj Slafkovsky, Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Joel Edmundson is back from injury. Carey Price is not expected to play this season, so Jake Allen will play in goal.

The Flyers finished 25-46-11 last season. They lost Sean Couturier and Ryan Ellis to injuries. Anthony DeAngelo joined the blue line via trade. Carter Hart was better in net last year but not as good as his first two seasons. John Tortorella was hired during the offseason.

The San Jose Sharks finished 32-37-13 last season. They have a lot of veterans, but they have no real depth. Their injury bug has been a problem for several seasons. The team has a headstart on everyone because they went to Europe and dropped the first two games of the 2022-23 regular season, so they already have an advantage.

Seattle Kraken is an expansion team. Last season they finished third-from-bottom with 27-49-6 points. They added some quality forwards in the offseason, including Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky. Shane Wright was drafted at No. 4 in this year's draft. Matty Beniers will be the No 2 overall pick from 2021.