The New York Islanders selected Canadian center John Tavares with the No.1 pick in the NHL entry draft on Friday.
The Islanders chose 18-year-old Tavares with the first overall pick ahead of 198cm, 100kg Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, the top-ranked European prospect.
The Tampa Bay Lightning took Hedman and the Colorado Avalanche followed with forward Matt Duchene, the first three selections going as expected.
PHOTO: AFP
The Philadelphia Flyers made the biggest trade of the night by acquiring All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger from Anaheim in a multi-player trade. The Ducks reacquired right wing Joffrey Lupul and received defenseman Luca Sbisa and two first-round draft picks.
Tavares led Canada’s Ontario Hockey League with 58 goals this season.
Tavares was the team’s fourth No. 1 pick overall, and the first since they made Rick DiPietro the first goalie selected first overall in 2000.
The Islander also made a pair of deals with Columbus and Minnesota, packaging draft picks to trade up from a second first-round pick at 26th to the 12th choice, where they selected Oshawa Generals defenseman Calvin de Haan.
After Duchene was picked third by Colorado, his favorite team growing up, Atlanta selected center Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants, followed by Los Angeles, which chose Brandon Wheat Kings center Brayden Schenn, the younger brother of Toronto defenseman Luke Schenn, who went fifth overall to the Maple Leafs last year.
The embattled Phoenix Coyotes delivered the first surprise of the first round when they drafted Swedish defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson with the sixth pick.
Toronto selected center Nazim Kadri, Tavares’ Knights teammate, with the seventh selection.
Right wing Scott Glennie was chosen eighth by Dallas. Ottawa drafted defenseman Jared Cowen of the Spokane Chiefs, followed by Edmonton, which took Swedish center Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson to complete the top 10.
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