The NBA held its draft on Thursday, and the NHL is set to follow suit next Wednesday. The action is scheduled to begin on Wednesday in Nashville, and the two-day event should be filled with both excitement and drama.

While the NHL's top prospect might not be generating as much buzz as the NBA's Victor Wembanyama, Connor Bedard is widely considered a generational talent and a virtual lock for the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 1

Things are a bit more unsettled after that, though, and trades could always impact the drat picture as teams look to maneuver around the board, improve rosters and unload salary.

How might things unfold on the draft's opening night? Below, you'll find a full Round 1 mock, along with a look at some expert predictions from around the web.

Round 1 Mock

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard, C, Regina

2. Anaheim Ducks: Adam Fantilli, C, Michigan

3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Leo Carlsson, C, Orebro

4. San Jose Sharks: Will Smith, C, USA U-18

5. Montreal Canadiens: Matvei Michkov, RW, Ska St. Petersburg

6. Arizona Coyotes: Ryan Leonard, RW, USA U-18

7. Philadelphia Flyers: David Reinbacher, D, Kloten

8. Washington Capitals: Dalibor Dvorský, C, Aik

9. Detroit Red Wings: Zach Benson, LW, Winnipeg

10. St. Louis Blues: Nate Danielson, C, Brandon

11. Vancouver Canucks: Axel Sandin Pellikka, D, Skelleftea Jr.

12. Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa): Eduard Šalé, LW, Brno

13. Buffalo Sabres: Tom Willander, D, Rogle Jr.

14. Pittsburgh Penguins: Matthew Wood, RW, Uconn

15. Nashville Predators: Samuel Honzek, LW, Vancouver

16. Calgary Flames: Brayden Yager, C, Moose Jaw

17. Detroit Red Wings (from Islanders via Vancouver): Lukas Dragicevic, D, Tri-City

18. Winnipeg Jets: Oliver Moore, C, USA U-18

19. Chicago Blackhawks (from Tampa Bay): Gabriel Perreault, RW, USA U-18

20. Seattle Kraken: Colby Barlow, LW, Owen Sound

21. Minnesota Wild: Ethan Gauthier, RW, Sherbrooke

22. Philadelphia Flyers (from L.A. via Columbus): Mikhail Gulyayev, D, Omsk Jr.

23. New York Rangers: Lenni Hämeenaho, RW, Assat

24. Nashville Predators (from Edmonton): Oliver Bonk, D, London

25. St. Louis Blues (from Toronto): Otto Stenberg, C, Frolunda Jr.

26. San Jose Sharks (from New Jersey): Calum Ritchie, C, Oshawa

27. Colorado Avalanche: Daniil But, LW, Yaroslavl Jr.

28. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Boston via Washington): Dmitri Simashev, D, Yaroslavl Jr.

29. St. Louis Blues (from Dallas via Rangers): Étienne Morin, D, Moncton

30. Carolina Hurricanes: Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury

31. Montreal Canadiens (from Florida): Carson Bjarnason, G, Brandon

32. Vegas Golden Knights: Carson Rehkopf, LW, Kitchener

Bedard Is the Consensus No. 1

Bedard is the top prize in this draft class, and it's not particularly close. The 17-year-old Regina (WHL) standout is shaping up to be the hottest prospect we've seen in some time.

"[Bedard] could be the best prospect to enter the NHL since Connor McDavid, who was selected No. 1 by the Edmonton Oilers at the 2015 NHL Draft," Adam Kimelman of NHL.com wrote.

Kimelman and fellow NHL.com writer Mike G. Morreale agreed that Bedard is the clear-cut top prospect. That's a view also shared by The Athletic's Corey Pronman and Bleacher Report Lyle Richardson.

"Considered a generational talent, Bedard is a no-brainer selection for Chicago," Richardson wrote. "With long-time stars like Patrick Kane traded away and Jonathan Toews departing as a free agent, Bedard becomes the foundation on which this rebuilding team will assemble its future."

What might be most impressive about Bedard is the fact that he's been under the spotlight for a while and has continued to perform at an elite level. That bodes well for the Blackhawks if they plan to have him under pressure and on the ice immediately.

"There is nothing about his game in my opinion that flies under the radar," Calgary Hitmen general manager Jeff Chynoweth said, per The Athletic's Scott Wheeler. "He was off the charts at the world juniors and has taken it to another level since returning to the WHL. It is like he is playing a video game."

After winning the Canadian Hockey League Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards this past season, it's not hard to see why the North Vancouver product is generating so much excitement, or why Chicago should be thrilled to own the top selection.

Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson Are Quality Consolation Prizes, but Uncertainty Remains

The Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets shouldn't feel too upset about missing out on the top selection. There is quality talent at the top of the board after Bedard too.

"Really impressive group after Bedard," one NHL team head scout said, per TSN's Bob McKenzie. "It's not just the Bedard Draft; there's a Big Five, and if you're picking in the top five, you're not getting a good prospect, you're getting a very good, maybe even great, one."

Michigan's Adam Fantilli and Orebro's Leo Carlsson could each be the No. 1 pick in a different draft. Unsurprisingly, Kimelman, Morreale, Pronman and Richardson all have Fantilli and Carlsson going No. 2 and No. 3 to the Ducks and Blue Jackets, respectively.

However, there's still no guarantee that this is the order. According to Pronman, Anaheim could go with either selection:

"Half the people in the NHL think it will be Fantilli, half the league thinks it will be Leo Carlsson. It's considered very close between the two players with a lot of teams."

Pronman also believes that the Blue Jackets could also go with National Under-18 prospect Will Smith instead of Carlsson if Fantilli is off the board at No. 3.

There's legitimate intrigue surrounding the second and third picks, and things only get murkier from there.

While Pronman Kimelman and Morreale all predict Smith landing with the San Jose Sharks at No. 4, Richardson has Matvei Michkov of Ska St. Petersburgh going in that spot. All four experts are split on the Montreal Canadiens' pick at No. 5, with Smith, Leonard and Michkov, Kloten's David Reinbacher each getting a nod.

There's a lot of top-end talent in this draft class, but Bedard-to-Chicago appears to be the only sure thing.