What if: The 2008 Draft included Tavares

[bambamcam4ever]

Stamkos was a better skater and had a better shot. Tavares' hype was huge early on because of the exceptional status and his monstrous 2007 season but I definitely remember critiques by 2008. A great WJC helped solidify Tavares as number one in 2009, but Stamkos was already in the NHL by then and played ahead of Tavares on the 2008 team. Tavares was physically mature early and Stamkos wasn't.

Off topic I guess but I think I'd probably rather have had Tavares than Stamkos as their careers actually played out. After his leg break Stamkos has been a pretty empty scorer for me, and he has had more fortune than Tavares has in terms of linemates. I know that most disagree. If Stamkos never broke his leg then I'd go with him.

Especially considering playoffs I would rather draft Tavares as well. The guy almost won an Art Ross with not much help around him, unlike Stamkos who has benefitted from St Louis and Kucherov.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

fwiw, here’s the THN issue going into the draft

suggesting that stnakos > tavares would be a minority position

also of note: erik karlsson ranked #71

 

[HolyGhost]

If Tavares is drafted in 2018, he's prob a 4th round pick that projects as an overpaid faceoff specialist.

1979 10

 

[islandersbob]

If Tavares was in the 2008, the Islanders could have ended up with Pietrangelo at 5 in 2008 and Hedman at 1 in 2009. Although it was the Wang Islanders, so it probably would have been Bogosian and Duchene instead, which would have fit the rumors that Snow loved both of them as prospects.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I do think that Tavares was the most hyped. I recall seeing video of him playing years before he was drafted

But maybe if Tavares gets drafted to Tampa, he has a career similar to Stamkos? Islanders were a real clusterschmozz and Tavares was like the only good player on the team

 

[Section 104]

In 2009 the little I heard about Taveras was “is he the next great player or merely a pretty good player?”. The year before it was “Stamkos is the next superstar “.

Now there may be 10 million people who know far more about amateur hockey players than I do, I freely admit it. But that’s what I heard.

 

[Garbageyuk]

In 2009 the little I heard about Taveras was “is he the next great player or merely a pretty good player?”. The year before it was “Stamkos is the next superstar “.

Now there may be 10 million people who know far more about amateur hockey players than I do, I freely admit it. But that’s what I heard.

Tavares was seen as a generational type prospect up until his draft year, which was relatively disappointing. After that, and heading into the draft, he was still viewed as a superstar/franchise level forward. It’s interesting how he did not even meet those lowered expectations, considering he still ended up as a fine player.

 

[Leafs87]

Honestly really depends. Tavares was one of the most polarizing players. Some viewed him as the next Crosby and others questioned him leading up to the draft. It was literally touted as the 3 headed monster with Duchene, Hedman and Tavares. I am not sure he’d go 1st in 08, but for the sake of this thread, yes the 2008 draft would look different as he’d certainly be 2nd/3rd and it would have ripple effects. My favourite ripple would of honestly been him not signing with the Leafs and destroying the internal cap ceiling

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Tavares was seen as a generational type prospect up until his draft year, which was relatively disappointing. After that, and heading into the draft, he was still viewed as a superstar/franchise level forward. It’s interesting how he did not even meet those lowered expectations, considering he still ended up as a fine player.

I think the "generational hype" talk actually subsided by his third year (one year prior to draft eligible). He had that historic 16 year old season where he scored 70+ goals, but then followed it up with a (relatively speaking) disappointing 17 year old season where he only had 40 goals and had a really, really bad playoffs (3 goals in 15 games for a supposed generational scorer).

By the end of his 17 year old season, the only people who still thought he was on the level of a Crosby were the diehard fans of his and a small segment of the Toronto media who wanted desperately to see the next "Toronto area boy" dominate. Everyone else saw him for what he was -- and what he ended up becoming.

 

[Garbageyuk]

I think the "generational hype" talk actually subsided by his third year (one year prior to draft eligible). He had that historic 16 year old season where he scored 70+ goals, but then followed it up with a (relatively speaking) disappointing 17 year old season where he only had 40 goals and had a really, really bad playoffs (3 goals in 15 games for a supposed generational scorer).

By the end of his 17 year old season, the only people who still thought he was on the level of a Crosby were the diehard fans of his and a small segment of the Toronto media who wanted desperately to see the next "Toronto area boy" dominate. Everyone else saw him for what he was -- and what he ended up becoming.

His ppg that year was identical to his 70+ goal season though, but yeah his playoffs that year was where things started looking suspect as far as the “generational” tag goes.

Then he regressed in his draft year and it was apparent to everyone who wasn’t completely biased that he wasn’t going to be in the generational tier.

There was even rumblings about certain scouts preferring Hedman to him, which in hindsight was the right call, but we can forgive people for not being on board with that yet at the time because that would’ve been unfathomable a couple years prior.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I don't know, but I remember Blake Pronk, who was billeted with my neighbour played on the Kingston Frontenacs and he knocked on my door on day I asked me if I wanted to go see a game and see the rookie Tavares in action as they were playing the Generals that night.

Nothing to add to the thread, but just wanted a share a little story about how hyped Tavares was in the he OHL.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Imagine getting Bogosian out of that group.

Imagine drafting Hugh Jessiman in the legendary '03 draft. That shit will haunt me as a Rangers fan forever.

 

[Gorskyontario]

He goes 3rd overall and has a similar career.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

I don't think it's a certainty at all that Tavares would go first. I recall that on TSN Bob McKenzie polled scouts and the majority had Stamkos ahead of Tavares if Tavares was eligible for the 2008 draft, and I think a few had Doughty ahead too. People were noticing warts in Tavares' game by that point. Even at the 2008 WJC, Stamkos was on the top line and Doughty was on the top pairing while Tavares was mainly a power play specialist who played a depth role at even strength.

Stamkos probably goes first, not sure what Los Angeles would do but probably Tavares since they picked Hickey top five the year before and had another first round pick to grab a defenceman in 2008. I guess Atlanta would take Doughty, St. Louis still takes Pietrangelo, and Toronto takes Bogosian.

This. Tavares had been hyped for so long and the narrative was that he could go #1 in 08 for a few years, but by the time the 08 draft rolled around the general consensus was that he was no longer a generational type player and might actually struggle to produce his elite numbers in the NHL with his poor skating.

I also remember watching TSN around this time and Bob along with EJ Macguire (rip) said that the scouts they talked to said Stamkos > Tavares even if Tavares was eligible because there was less uncertainty of what Stammer was going to become, which was an elite goal scorer in the NHL. JT had arguably more upside but a larger range of realistic possible outcomes from mega-star to very good NHLer.

 

[AvroArrow]

Top 2 would still be Stamkos and Doughty

Tavares was a generational prospect, expectations of him were like Crosby/McDavid level. No chance he would've gone after those guys. Remember, we gotta look at all of them as prospects.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Tavares was a generational prospect, expectations of him were like Crosby/McDavid level. No chance he would've gone after those guys. Remember, we gotta look at all of them as prospects.

As I said above, I don't think that generational hype was still there when the 2008 draft rolled around. It built up during his 16 year old season when he scored 72 goals, but was dying down as his 17 year old season unfolded (he wasn't even voted MVP of his own team that season). He was expected to build off the 72 goals, but instead plateaued in points and regressed badly in goals.

So in this hypothetical situation where he's eligible for the 2008 draft, I think by draft day there was no longer any "generational hype" surrounding him.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Tavares would have gone first I believe. Of 1990 born players he was the big time for some time. Preferring Stamkos would have felt like the alternative selection.

 

[vancityluongo]

my memory is bogo and doughty were thought to be a tossup, with real distance between them and pietrangelo and the rest.

didn't verify by searching but my memory is it was stamkos followed by the relatively interchangeable big-4 d - most had doughty first and schenn fourth, but they were grouped together with the first question mark being sixth overall

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Stamkos was the better prospect.