A draft what-if from 2009 is back in the conversation, and it starts with a claim that’s now making the rounds: former WHL scout Pete Hughes says the Islanders’ scouting staff wanted Victor Hedman first overall, only for John Tavares to win out because the hype around him was too strong to ignore.
Hughes posted on X that the Islanders were locked in on the defenseman, but the team’s direction changed because Tavares had become such a massive name. In his words, “The New York Islanders Scouting Staff wanted to take Victor Hedman 1st Overall.
But because the hype was so high for years on John Tavares. The Owner sided with the fans and took John Tavares instead because of how overhyped he was.”
That version of events is Hughes’ account, not something confirmed by the public record. The source material says there is no proof ownership overruled the scouting staff simply to satisfy fans.
What is clear is that the two players were viewed as the top names in that draft. Tavares was the No.
1 North American skater in 2009, while Hedman sat No. 1 in Europe. The Central Scouting Bureau essentially had them as 1A and 1B.
Tavares had already built a monster junior resume, piling up 433 points in the OHL with Oshawa and London and finishing as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer with 215 goals in 247 games. Hedman, meanwhile, was not yet the offensive force he would later become. Before going to the Lightning, he had 25 points in 82 games for MODO and was known more as a defense-first player who used his size, speed and hockey sense to shut things down.
The Islanders ultimately chose Tavares, and the pick gave them exactly what they were missing. He spent nine years in New York, producing 621 points in 669 games, wearing the captain’s “C” and climbing to fifth on the franchise’s all-time points list. He also led the team in points as a rookie.
Hedman went second overall to Tampa Bay and never left. Over 17 years, he has put up 811 points in 1,164 games, and his trophy case is the stronger one in hindsight.
He has won two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe, a Norris Trophy and has twice been named winner of the Guldpucken as Sweden’s best hockey player. At 35, he is still described as elite.
Tavares has built a major resume of his own since leaving the Islanders. He signed with the Maple Leafs and has scored 253 goals with 564 points in 597 games there. That production puts him in rare company: he is only the fourth player in NHL history to reach 500-plus points with two separate franchises, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Ron Francis.
He also captained Toronto until 2024-25, and the source notes that he fulfilled a childhood dream by playing for the team he grew up supporting. Beyond the ice, he has been an established part of the Toronto community and has used his influence and resources for philanthropic work.
Tavares has not won the Stanley Cup, and the source describes that as the only major box left unchecked. Even so, it also points to Olympic gold, records that are called nigh-improbable, and his impact for both NHL teams and Team Canada.
So the debate circles back to the same place it always does: whether the Islanders were truly boxed in by the Tavares hype, or whether the organization simply made a decision that looked obvious at the time. What can’t be argued is that they landed an exceptional player at No. 1, even if Hedman’s career has aged into the more decorated one.
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