The 2009 NHL Entry Draft held is being held right now in Montreal.

For many months now, there have been many rumblings and speculation on who would go first overall where the two choices have been John Tavares and Victor Hedman. The newest player in the fold now, though, is Matt Duchene.

The wait is over and the New York Islanders have chosen John Tavares 1st overall. GM Garth Snow does not disappoint his NYI fans who have packed the Nassau County Coliseum down in Long Island. Tavares is probably the premiere scorer in this draft class for sure. Tavares should be a dynamic player on the Island for sure. Grab him in keeper leagues if you can. Tavares has been in the spotlight for a while now, not unlike Sidney Crosby, so he should be ready for the big time when he comes into the league. Tavares has won championships and notched 134 points in 06-07 for the Oshawa Generals and he is apparently the all time leading goal scorer for the OHL.

Photo by: Glory Rumours Photos

The Tampa Bay Lightning also held onto their 2nd overall pick and took Hedman. Victor Hedman is the behemoth of a d-man from Sweden and has played a couple years for Modo and also has participated in international tournaments squaring up against guys like Tavares. Hedman stands at 6′6″ and has been talked about as the potential #1 for a while alongside Tavares. Hedman has been favorably compared to guys like Chris Pronger and even Nick Lidstrom. Fantasy managers out there, especially in keeper leagues, should be keeping a very close eye on drafting a stud d-man like Hedman projects to be, as strong defensemen are so much more rare than strong forwards. Most scouts said that he is ready to step right into the NHL and be productive so take note.

The Colorado Avalanche, following the common projections for the possible ordering of the players has predictably taken Matt Duchene. Matt Duchene is highly touted as a very good center who plays a good all around game. Duchene played his junior hockey thus far with the Brampton Battalion and has put up some solid numbers thus far, including 79 points in 57 games this past season. While not as flashy on the scoresheet like Tavares, Duchene has been favorably compared to incredible players such as Stevie Y–pretty good company. Look for Duchene to have a pretty solid career in the NHL. It’s unlikely that he will put up gaudy numbers in his rookie year but he is the type of player who will mature well and be incredibly solid for his team. He may not step into the NHL right away like the two players taken above him, but make sure you keep him in the back of your mind when he does.

Stay tuned for more draft day coverage. Our man Schrembs is actually at the draft in Montreal so once he checks in, expect the info to be pretty damn good.