Tavares vs. Hedman: My Final Opinion

As is pretty evident from the many comments I have left throughout the blogosphere, it is obvious that I am a big supporter of the Islanders drafting John Tavares with the first overall pick at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.  In this blog I will not bash on Hedman at all, as I feel he is going to be a phenomenal defenseman in the NHL, rather, I will explain several reasons why I feel Tavares will be the best choice.

First, besides the currently infamous Red-Line Report, it has become evident that Tavares is ranked the first overall pick by nearly 80% of the scouting services, and he is in the top two in every single scouting report besides that of Red-Line. Call it a ploy to attract more readers, call it his true belief, call it whatever you want…I don’t buy into it for a New York minute. Tavares has earned his spot as the number one overall pick from the second he became the youngest kid drafted into the OHL, and then backed that feat up with four tremendous seasons in the OHL, breaking the all-time goal scoring record with 215 goals, and proving himself on the international stage with Team Canada. He has been an all-star at every stage of his career. Why should the Islanders do the unconventional thing and go against what nearly all well-respected scouts are saying?

Secondly, and a shift away from physical talent, the name Tavares has status. I don’t care if you support Hedman or Tavares, you know damn well that if the Islanders select John Tavares, June 27^th is going to be the busiest day in a long time for Islanders season ticket holders, as well as for all jersey customizers at Islanders team stores, NHL.Com, and wherever else you may order a jersey from. The Islanders desperately need that star-studded name to sell, they need that star player to bring in new fans, they need that star player to bring back old fans, and they need that star-studded player to pack out the building in hopes that he may do something magical. It is pretty safe to say that the last time the Islanders had even a glimpse of a pure goal scorer, it was the Palffy years, and Tavares might be able to even blow him out of the water.

Lastly, it is obvious that the Islanders are in desperate need for many different things: defense, offense, and quite possibly even goaltending in the long run. While I do believe a great defense is important, do you truly believe that the Penguins would make it as far as they have without Malkin and Crosby, or the Red Wings making it as far as they have without Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Franzen? I didn’t think so. Offense not only sells out the building, but it also helps to bring about success. As good as a defense may be, you can’t win an NHL game in a tie, and it is time for the Islanders to realize that they need that offensive superstar.

There are plenty of reasons for the Islanders to take Tavares, and I’m sure people will go as far to say he could help pass the Lighthouse, he will be the best scorer in the league, he is going to do this, he is going to do that, and so on and so forth. Before I ever get to those items, I felt that these three were of utmost importance, and I truly feel that the Islanders management needs to recognize the need for that offensive weapon. Here is our chance.

-Justin