Why Matt Duchene Will Be Selected First By the NY Isles in the NHL Draft

In Friday's NHL Draft, the New York Islanders will have the first overall pick in the draft. But this draft is more important than most drafts, mainly because the Islanders need to get a superstar on Long Island in order to keep the team in the Nassau Coliseum.

With the first pick, the Islanders will probably not select Victor Hedman, who is the best defenseman in the draft, but they have a choice between two players—John Taveres and Matt Duchene—as the Islanders clearly need to have a great offensive player.

Even though Taveres seems to be the better draft pick for the Islanders, as he will fill the seats at the Coliseum and will become the team's main superstar, recently it has appeared that the Islanders seem to be going after Duchene for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that Duchene is considered to be a more well-rounded player than Taveres on both offense and defense, which is key for a team like the Islanders.

The second reason is that Duchene had a great postseason for the Brampton Battalion, as he scored 14 goals and had 26 points in 21 playoff games, which can leave a better impression with Islanders management with his great play as of late.

The third reason is that the Islanders will want a player who works hard in the community, as Duchene recently won the Ontario Hockey League's Scholastic Player of the Year, which is given to the player in the league who combines high standards of play and academic excellence along with being a great role model for people in the community.

The fourth and final reason is that Duchene is a more team-oriented player than Taveres is, which makes him more likely to be drafted, as the Islanders would love to have their star for the future become their captain.

Finally, with the NHL Draft rapidly approaching, this pick is going to be a huge moment in Islanders history, but it appears that the Islanders are leaning toward choosing Matt Duchene to become the new face of the franchise.