The 2009 NHL Draft: New York Islanders

I have had many fans ask me what the Islanders are going to do, thinking that us blog boxers may have an iota more inside information than the general public.

If we do have more information that the general public, it is just that: an iota.

That iota tells me that the Islanders will walk to the podium on Friday night and do the only thing they should: draft John Tavares with the first overall pick.

We have gone through all the reasons why it should be JT so let's direct our focus elsewhere.

The Islanders have another pick in the first round and it's a bit better than where it should be because of the meltdown of the San Jose Sharks in the first round of this year's playoffs.

Pick No. 26 in the first round will in all likelihood be traded up with one of the Islanders' two second-round picks to try and gain a better position to draft a defenseman that Snow and Company has their eye on.

It would be an absolute dream scenario if Snow managed to net himself Chicago Steel Defenseman John Moore. His stock has rocketed him into the top 10 in some mock drafts, so that seems unlikely unless Snow wants to part with something more enticing to anyone drafting in the 10-to-15 position.

We can count out Windsor Defenseman Ryan Ellis, as he is not getting past the Edmonton Oilers.

One possibility may be Drummondville defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. He may be a bit of a project but he has already spent one year getting used to the North American game. He may again rise to far for the Islanders to reach.

Past the top five-to-seven players, the draft rankings are all over the place so where players like this get drafted is anyone's guess.

If I were asked who I would like to see the Islanders come away with on draft day?

I think it's obvious that myself and probably 95 percent of Islanders fans want John Tavares to be pulling the Orange and Blue over his head this Friday.

About 16,000 tickets have been claimed for the draft party this year—16,000. Even if half of the people who have tickets show up, that's 8,000 fans there. A large percentage of those people will leave Nassau Coliseum Friday Night swearing off this team if Snow doesn't pick Tavares.

On to the less obvious choices, I would love to see the Islanders come away with one of five players with their "other" first-round pick. They are: John Moore, Dmitri Kulikov, Zack Kassian, Simon Despres, or Carter Ashton.

It's going to be a fun night, but if Tavares is an Islander, it will be a very fun night.