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Taveras would be great for the Isles.

Strait would NOT be a good mentor for Hedman. He is an offense first defenceman who didn't even play defence for the Habs last season except on the PK. Hedman's ideal mentor would be a Pronger or a Chara, not a part-time defenceman who can put points on the board. Hedman is also soft, as we saw at the World Juniors this past Christmas. Not saying he isn't a better choice than Tavares, but this article is off base in certain areas is all. Streit is very good as well, just not the guy I'd want tutoring my blue chip rookie defenceman. If Tampa were picking first, it'd be a done deal that Hedman goes first, but the Isles need help everywhere, so they have a much tougher choice to make...

These ignorant hockey writers are really starting to annoy me. For the upteenth time the Islanders are not trying to decide who the best player in the draft is so they can take him. The Islanders are looking for the the player who will create a buzz and will attract fans to the Nassau Coliseum. That player is John Tavares. This idea being floated by the Toronto and Boston hockey writers that they would take Hedman instead of Tavares borders on journalistic malpractice. This misinformation campaign by the Maple Leafs and the Toronto media is getting embarrasing. I'm sure they fed this story to the Globe. THE ISLANDERS ALREADY HAVE STREIT, THEY NEED SCORERS. They're going to sell Tavares along with Okposo, Bailey, and Comeau as an upcoming and exciting team. Tavares will aslo help sell the Lighthouse project that will include a new arena. It's about economic survival, not who can retrieve pucks. I'm sure Hedman will be a stud, but he's not going to help the Islanders sell tickets, Tavares will. Thankyouverymuch.

Hedman is certainly an attractive player for any NHL team. But the Isles need someone to put the puck in the net and to attract fans. Tavares is that player.

The article should have been four words... BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRIBLE!!!

If there is a way to screw themselves in this draft, Garth Snow will find it.

I say they draft Tavares and sign him to a 600 year contract.

I think if they don't pick tavares their dumb ***es

I know the Isles have a joke of a GM, but even he isn't going to mess this up.......is he

They got to take Tavares. He'll put people in the seats more than a d-man will. Unless the guy is the next Orr. He doesn't sound like he's going to be.

The only way this will happen is if they decide to take Matt Duchene instead of Tavares. The Isles have a premier puck-moving defenseman. Why would they need another one? Duchene has moved up on many draft rankings to #1, so I suppose I could see them selecting him, but it won't happen. I hope not, because I can't wait to see Duchene in an Avs sweater.

I saw both Tavares & Duchene play in the recent OHL playoffs. While Tavares has great hands and is extremely dangerous on the powerplay, he looked average playing 5 on 5. He scores about 40% of his goals on PP and had a weak plus-minus this year.
Duchene was more of a threat and looked considerably faster.
Goal scoring gets all the attention but does not necessarily win you games when you aren't playing hard at both ends.

could Hedman's the next Alexander Svitov

be

Snow will F^CK IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really hate writer that try to predict what a team does on draft day same as NFL no body know how a player is going to do when they start playing in the NHL/NFL. The only way to know is draft him and see what he does. I'm from St. Louis we have been drafting for the past couple of years with the youth movement. We have writer's that say they should trade some of these draft pick for Pronger. They have to be nuts to do something like this. Pronger is not the answer and trade young player for one old one doesn't make sense. If Tavares is the best player than draft him the writer's need to stop put stuff that doesn't make sense for a team the needs new blood.

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 07:41 PM ET  05.31 by Army of Adam

could Hedman (be) the next Alexander Svitov

...or the next Luke Richardson...

tavares has been dominating the ohl since 15..... hedman can play with "men", but its still not the nhl.... im sure duchene and tavares are better then any player hedman plays against in the SEL.... the writer fails to state how far tavares has come from being a one dimensional offensive force to a player who is at least average on the defensive end.... he'll never be michael peca.... but no one wants him to be..... his skating is he weakest link but he always seems to be in the right place so it doesnt seem to affect his game..... evander kane will be the steal in this draft..... if this wasnt as deep of a draft as it is with some amazing blue chip prospects hed go number 1.... one of the deepest drafts ive seen in years.

A newsday writer has pointed out Canadian writer's abilities to start picking apart their top players before the draft. In this case it seems that a Boston based writer has followed suit to keep the train alive. Either way the Isles go, they are going to get a player that is going to be a franchise player for years to come. The only way they screw this up is to trade out of the top 6 picks. Sure the Isles need scoring, they also need goaltending that will perform more than half a season, D men that can block shots and transition forward quicker and then there is the most glaring need. Scott Gordon plays a player on the puck game which hasn't done so well because of the massive injury list from the last 2 seasons. He needs a healthy 2 way center that can play the agressive backcheck in addition to putting pucks in the net. Although they are more likely to be found in later rounds, the chance to draft a pure scorer is not something that will pop up later. I believe Snow can see that and having Steit tied up for 4 years gives him the ability to get a premiere forward.

Much as I would've liked to see Tavares in a Leafs jersey there is NO WAY that the Islanders don't take him. The Islanders needs are exactly the same as Pittsburgh's were a few years ago, and their Sidney Crosby is right there for them to take.

Tavares has tons of hype, and whether he's the next Crosby or not, for the next few years he will put fans in the seats for the Isles.

No chance the Isles let Tavares slide. No chance the Isles trade down.

Tampa on the other hand...