The odds were not in their favor.
The Chicago Blackhawks did not get the benefit of a fortunate bounce on Tuesday night, staying put at their No. 6 spot in the 2022 NHL Draft during the lottery.
That pick is now officially property of the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the terms of the Seth Jones trade from July 23, 2021. The Blackhawks would’ve hung on to that pick if they’d won the lottery and moved into the top two of this year’s draft.
Chicago entered the draft lottery with a 7.5 percent chance at winning the lottery and moving into the top two — the sixth-best odds in the league.
But Chicago could still have a first-round pick this summer per the conditions of the Marc-Andre Fleury trade with the Minnesota Wild. Should the Wild reach the Western Conference Final and Fleury post four wins in the first two rounds, Chicago will receive Minnesota’s first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. If not, it remains a second-round pick.
Minnesota is currently tied 2-2 in its first-round series with the St. Louis Blues and Fleury has both victories.