NHL Draft: John Tavares Ready to Go Where He's Chosen.

There is a lot of hype around John Tavares coming into this year's NHL entry draft. The 18-year-old is expected to be chosen number one overall come June. The first overall pick belongs to the New York Islanders, and they are expected to choose Tavares over Swedish born Victor Hedman. Many believe that Tavares should boycott Long Island by turning down any offer that they might give him. Tavares has denied such allegations and he has stated he would be honored to go number one. Tavares recently met with Islanders GM Garth Snow and has come away from the experience impressed with the Islanders club.

Tavares got a chance to check out recently renovated Nassau Coliseum and other parts of Long Island while discussing his future with Snow. The Islanders won't commit to Tavares just yet as Swedish born Victor Hedman is also in the running for the number one spot. Hedman also visited Long Island and took his father with him to get a feel for the club and how he would fit in the Islanders system. No one knows who will go number one come June 26, 2009 but experts say Tavares is the perfect choice for the Islanders flourishing team. The Islanders are currently in a rebuilding process, and will be for some time in the future. Tavares would be a great addition to their offensive punch and would be part of a young squad moving forward. The Islanders have been stockpiling draft picks for some time now. Some of these picks include breakout star of last season Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. New York had 13 selections in last year's draft and also holds the 31^st and 37^th pick in this years draft as well. While GM Garth Snow could deal one of these picks away, there is little doubt that Tavares or Hedman will be an Islander come June.

In other draft news, Toronto Maple leafs GM Brian Burke is looking to make a deal. He would love to have Tavares call Toronto and the Air Canada centre his new home. Burke has a lot of experience making moves in the draft. He is most noted for the trade that brought the Sedin Twins to Vancouver. Burke will also be looking to add current defensive defenseman Luke Schenn's brother Brayden Schenn into the mix. There is no telling what Burke could do come June. He is a feisty GM and always looks to make a big deal on draft day.