The Florida Panthers made a trade with the Montreal Canadiens back in March of 2022, sending their first round pick to Montreal, in exchange for defenseman Ben Chiarot.
The Panthers knew that Connor Bedard was eligible for the 2023 draft, yet the team was highly optimistic that they wouldn't be in the bottom-11 of the standings as the 2022-23 season came to an end.
As Florida knew that only the bottom-11 teams were eligible for the 1st overall pick, they decided to trade their unprotected first round pick to try to win the Stanley Cup.
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The Panthers were at the top of standings and about to claim the Presidents Trophy for the first time in franchise history. Surely they wouldn't do a complete 180' and be eligible to draft Bedard in the lottery, right?
Fast forward to the 2022-23 season. Ben Chiarot is now with the Red Wings, Florida has been struggling to remain consistent, and surely enough, they currently sit 22nd in the NHL standings with a .500 record (19-19-4).
Should the Panthers fall even more in the standings, they will be giving Montreal an even greater chance to snatch Bedard with their pick in what may end up being the worst trade in NHL history.
Montreal already sits 27th in the league, and they would have a combined 11% (Florida 3.5%, Montreal 7.5%) chance at drafting Bedard 1st overall if the season were to end today. This would be tied for the third best odds behind just Chicago and Columbus.
