2009 NHL Redraft: O'Reilly jumps to No. 3, Islanders stick with Tavares

With the 2019-20 NHL season on pause due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, NHL.com will reimagine one NHL Draft each week. Today, we look back at the 2009 NHL Draft, which was held at Bell Centre in Montreal on June 26-27, 2009.

It's been quite an eventful 12 months for Ryan O'Reilly. The center helped the St. Louis Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship and was voted winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He played in the 2020 Honda NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis on Jan. 25, and his two-way game, including 61 points (12 goals, 49 assists) in 71 games, was integral to the Blues being in first place in the Central Division when the NHL season was paused March 12.

Because of those recent accomplishments and the fact that he is third in points among players from the 2009 NHL Draft, O'Reilly, originally drafted No. 33 by the Colorado Avalanche, jumped into the top three in this redraft behind center John Tavares and defenseman Victor Hedman, who were selected in their original draft positions by the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.

RELATED: [2005 Redraft | 2006 Redraft | 2007 Redraft | 2008 Redraft]

Forward Mike Hoffman, selected in the fifth round by the Ottawa Senators in 2009, made the biggest jump, up to the top 10, where he was joined by defenseman Tyson Barrie, who originally was selected in the third round by the Avalanche.

Who else would move up? Who would drop? Thirty NHL.com staffers, using the draft order and class from 2009, and selected in random order, have answered those questions. Here are the results. For reference, here is how the original draft went.

1. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders (originally selected No. 1 by New York Islanders) -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Tavares, who leads the 2009 draft class with 769 points (345 goals, 424 assists) in 814 games, was again the pick for the Islanders. Among active NHL players with at least 250 games, he is tied for 11th in goals per game (0.42) and tied for 17th in points per game (0.94). He was named to the First NHL All-Star Team for 2014-15, when he was second in the NHL with 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists), one behind Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars. In 2018-19, his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tavares set NHL career highs in goals (47) and points (88), including a League-high 37 even-strength goals. That's too much offense to turn down. -- William Douglas, staff writer

2. Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning (No. 2 by Tampa Bay Lightning) -- There was no need to rewrite history with Tampa Bay's pick of Hedman either. Voted the winner of the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in the NHL in 2017-18, Hedman leads defensemen selected in the 2009 draft in points (473), power-play points (152), rating (plus-116) and games (762). The Lightning's shutdown defenseman and their power-play quarterback, he helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2015, advance to the Eastern Conference Final three times (2015, 2016, 2018), and tie the NHL record for wins in a season in 2018-19 (62; 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings) Hedman is a three-time NHL All-Star (first team, 2017-18; second team, 2016-17 and 2018-19). -- Pat Pickens, staff writer

3. Ryan O'Reilly, C, Colorado Avalanche (No. 33 by Colorado Avalanche) -- It was a difficult choice between O'Reilly and forward Matt Duchene, who the Avalanche took here in 2009, but in this redraft, they opted for the player with the better two-way game. O'Reilly has 560 points (195 points, 365 assists) in 804 games with the Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres and Blues. He had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 26 games during his MVP performance in the 2019 playoffs, helping St. Louis to its first title in its 51st season. Voted winner of the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL in 2018-19, O'Reilly leads the NHL with 790 takeaways -- 72 more than Joe Thornton -- and is fifth in face-off winning percentage (55.5 percent; minimum 7,500 draws) since entering the NHL in 2009-10. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

4. Brayden Schenn, C, Atlanta Thrashers (No. 5 by Los Angeles Kings) -- With, in my opinion, the best player in the draft just selected, I turned to another current St. Louis player here. Sure, Duchene might have the advantage in points, but Schenn is a reliable two-way forward capable of playing physical while driving the game offensively. He has 430 points (179 goals, 251 assists) in 658 games, including 145 on the power play, and since becoming a full-time NHL player in 2011-12 with the Philadelphia Flyers, he ranks 15th among forwards with 1,404 hits. Schenn was a key part of the Blues winning the Cup last season, including when he scored with 8:35 remaining in the third period to make it 3-0 and seal Game 7 of the Cup Final against the Boston Bruins. -- Brett Amadon, staff writer

5. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D, Los Angeles Kings (No. 6 by Phoenix Coyotes) -- Although Duchene and forward Evander Kane remained on the board, it was impossible to pass on a top-pair defenseman such as Ekman-Larsson. Since the start of 2012-13, he is 10th in the NHL with an average of 24:29 of ice time per game, nearly a full minute higher than that of any other player from the 2009 draft (Hedman's 23:35 is second). He's also been durable, playing all but 17 regular-season games since 2011-12, his first full NHL season. Ekman-Larsson's 364 points (125 goals, 239 assists) are second among defensemen in the 2009 class. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

6. Matt Duchene, C, Phoenix Coyotes (No. 3 by Colorado Avalanche) -- The selection of Duchene was an easy one because elite-level centers are not easy to find. He ranks in the top four among players drafted in 2009 with 245 goals (second), 589 points (second), a face-off winning percentage of 53.3 percent (second; minimum 500 draws) 524 takeaways (3rd), 33 game-winning goals (fourth) and 344 assists (fourth). Duchene has scored at least 21 goals and had at least 55 points in seven of his 11 NHL seasons, and he's been effective on the power play, ranking sixth in the 2009 class with 58 goals. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

7. Tyson Barrie, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (No. 64 by Colorado Avalanche) -- It was tough to let a reliable forward like Nazem Kadri slide at this point, but with Barrie still on the board, the Maple Leafs were able to land the defenseman they needed to help their transition game and get their power play going. Barrie is third among defensemen in the 2009 draft class with 129 power-play points, second with 266 assists, and tied for first with Hedman with a points-per-game average of 0.62 (346 points in 554 games). -- Sebastien Deschambault, managing editor, LNH.com

8. Evander Kane, LW, Dallas Stars (No. 4 by Atlanta Thrashers) -- Kadri, Hoffman and Ryan Ellis all deserved consideration here, but the Stars opted for the most talented and accomplished wing of this draft class. A fearless, feisty and versatile forward, his 1,610 hits and 12 shorthanded goals lead players drafted in 2009. Kane has more than made up for his sometimes-questionable discipline (his 946 penalty minutes are the most in the 2009 class) by being third in goals (242), second in even-strength goals (186; Tavares 242), third in game-winning goals (35; Tavares 54, Schenn 44), and fifth in points (457) from the 2009 draft. -- Paul Strizhevsky, columnist, NHL.com/ru

9. Mike Hoffman, LW, Ottawa Senators (No. 129 by Ottawa Senators) -- There is no way Hoffman was going to be around for Ottawa to take him in the fifth round, like it did in 2009, so I took him here. His 172 goals are tied with Anders Lee for eighth among forwards drafted in 2009, his 359 points are eighth, and his 187 assists are ninth, and he's become more productive with age. He scored an NHL career-high 36 goals for the Florida Panthers in 2018-19, his first season with them, and had 29 when the season was paused. I toyed with taking Ellis or Chris Kreider, but I'll leave that decision up to Pete Jensen. -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

10. Ryan Ellis, D, Edmonton Oilers (No. 11 by Nashville Predators) -- This was a tough call indeed between Ellis and Kreider, especially with how the big forward has come into bloom in recent seasons. But the steady, elite defenseman won out, especially given Ellis' consistent success and ability to coexist with talented teammates like Shea Weber, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban in any situation over the years with Nashville. Ellis was the perfect fit in this spot to be Edmonton's No. 1, do-it-all defenseman. His plus-113 rating is second among players in the 2009 class behind Hedman, and he ranks among the top five at his position in goals (70; fourth), assists (182, fifth) and points (252; fifth). -- Pete Jensen, senior fantasy editor

11. Nazem Kadri, C, Nashville Predators (No. 7 by Toronto Maple Leafs) -- There was an intriguing choice here between Kreider and Kadri, who each has the rare combination of hustle and muscle that teams covet. But the numbers give the nod to Kadri, who has more goals (180-157), assists (213-159) and points (393-316) than Kreider. In fact, no player remaining on the board from the 2009 draft has more goals (fifth in class) or points (seventh) than Kadri, confirming the choice by the Predators here. His versatility was another plus. He can be used in an offensive role (52 power-play goals) or as a team's top shutdown center, which plays right into the sandpaper, in-your-face style that made him a perfect fit for the team called Smashville. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

12. Tomas Tatar, LW, New York Islanders (No. 60 by Detroit Red Wings) -- With Tavares on board, there were several ways the Islanders could go to get a wing who could not only put the puck on Tavares' stick but also be a goal-scoring threat. With consideration to Kreider, Kyle Palmieri and Reilly Smith, Tatar was the right pick here. His 347 points rank 12th in the 2009 draft class, and his goal (166; 10th) and assist (181; 15th) totals show a nice balance of sniper and setup man. His 45 power-play goals (11th) and 27 game-winners (10th) also were deciding factors. -- Frank Giase, staff writer

13. Chris Kreider, LW, Buffalo Sabres (No. 19 by New York Rangers) -- He's 16th among players drafted in 2009 with 316 points (157 goals, 159 assists) in 523 games, 10th with 47 power-play goals and 12th with 238 even-strength points. It's worth noting that he is seventh in goals (96) since 2016-17 from the 2009 class, indicating his best years could be ahead of him. Kreider's physical play (1,031 hits; eighth among 2009 forwards) separates him from the other choices available here, and his consistent power-play production made him an easy selection with the 13th pick. -- Rob Reese, fantasy editor

14. Kyle Palmieri, RW, Florida Panthers (No. 26 by Anaheim Ducks) -- Palmieri is not the most physically intimidating forward from the 2009 class, but he is gritty and plays with a relentless motor that has served him well through 561 NHL games. Oh, and he has a knack for scoring goals, 175 to be exact, seventh among players drafted in 2009. He is also a consistent force with the man-advantage, tied for fourth in the 2009 class with 59 power-play goals, 11 in four of his past five seasons. Palmieri checks off a lot of boxes for the Panthers, who needed plenty of help in 2009. -- Jim Cerny, senior editor

15. Reilly Smith, RW, Anaheim Ducks (No. 69 by Dallas Stars) -- This was a no-brainer selection for the Ducks, who would have been thrilled to add more offensive firepower to play with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Teemu Selanne. Among players selected in the 2009 draft, Smith is 11th with 354 points in 566 games and tied for 10th with an average of 0.61 points per game, each ahead of Tatar, Kreider and Palmieri, who were just selected ahead of him. He's also first among 2009 forwards with a plus-99 rating, and perhaps most importantly, Smith's average of 0.91 points per game in the NHL playoffs (41 in 45 games) is tops among players in the class. He was one of the biggest reasons the Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, and he would have been a perfect fit for the Ducks as they were looking to build off a 91-point season in 2008-09. -- Matt Cubeta, Editor-in-Chief, NHL.com International

16. Mattias Ekholm, D, Minnesota Wild (No. 102 by Nashville Predators) -- The Wild may have had a young Brent Burns at the time, but they nonetheless needed an infusion of youth at defenseman. Less flashy than his fellow Predators defensemen, Ekholm has become a model of consistency at each end of the ice, but especially in his own zone. He is the sixth-most productive defenseman of the 2009 draft with 196 points (45 goals, 151 assists) in 538 games, and his plus-71 rating is third at the position. Ekholm has proven over the years that he can excel in a supporting role. -- Guillaume Lepage, staff writer, LNH.com

17. Anders Lee, LW, St. Louis Blues (No. 151 by New York Islanders) -- Lee bloomed a little later than some left on this board. But since 2014-15, his first full season in the NHL, he ranks third in the 2009 draft class in goals (162), second in even-strength goals (114), fifth in power-play goals (48) and 10th in points (285). It isn't all because he played with the top pick for a long time either. After Tavares left the Islanders for the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2018, Lee succeeded him as captain Oct. 4, 2018. He scored 28 goals last season and has 20 in 68 games this season. -- Nick Cotsonika, columnist

18. Jakob Silfverberg, RW, Montreal Canadiens (No. 39 by Ottawa Senators) -- Also a late bloomer, like Lee, Silfverberg was chosen for his steady contributions once he established himself in the NHL. He didn't play his first NHL regular-season game until he was 22, but since 2015-16, he has scored 105 goals, second most for the Ducks behind Rickard Rakell's 120. Silfverberg has scored at least 20 goals four times, including this season, and is a reliable all-situations player. He also ranks eighth in the NHL with 21 shootout goals since he entered the League in 2012-13. -- Tim Campbell, staff writer

19. Cody Eakin, C, New York Rangers (No. 85 by Washington Capitals) -- Eakin would not sit on this draft board until the third round, like he did in 2009. His 586 games rank him a sound 14th in this draft class, and his 103 goals rank 18th; the latter is a good number given that he's been used a good portion of his NHL career as a checking center. Eakin will be dependable on the defensive side of the puck, a scoring threat with it, and he comes with a chip on his shoulder like his father, Butch, a 1977 eighth-round pick of the Cleveland Barons who ground out his career in the minors. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

20. Craig Smith, RW, New Jersey Devils (No. 98 by Nashville Predators) -- Smith's aggressive, high-energy style, which has made him a mainstay in Nashville for nine seasons, was exactly what an aging New Jersey group needed here. His forechecking ability would have made the Devils tougher defensively, and he's no slouch in the offensive zone. He scored at least 21 goals in five of the past six seasons for Nashville and had 18 at the pause, even with an NHL career-low average of 13:25 of ice time. -- Dan O'Leary, staff writer

21. Nick Leddy, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (No. 16 by Minnesota Wild) -- Leddy is one of the best skaters in the NHL, and he's just as good moving on the ice transporting the puck out of the defensive zone as he is joining the attack as the fourth man in. The Blue Jackets like to play an up-tempo game, and Leddy is the perfect fit for that style. He is sixth in games among players selected in the 2009 draft with 720 and fourth among defensemen in points with 305 (63 goals, 242 assists). -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

22. Marcus Johansson, LW, Vancouver Canucks (No. 24 by Washington Capitals) -- Johansson, a defensively responsible two-way forward with some scoring ability, would have been a perfect fit for a team that was coming off a Northwest Division title and ready to make a push for the Stanley Cup. He's tied for eighth in points (364) among players in the 2009 draft class, 15th in goals (129) and 12th in games (648). Johansson has proven he can play up and down the lineup, making him an excellent choice for a team that was looking for depth up front and just coming into its own. -- John Kreiser, managing editor

23. Brian Dumoulin, D, Calgary Flames (No. 51 by Carolina Hurricanes) -- Another late bloomer, Dumoulin was a steal at this point of the redraft for Calgary. After being selected by Carolina in 2009, Dumoulin played three seasons at Boston College and the majority of another three seasons in the American Hockey League before entering the NHL on a full-time basis with Pittsburgh for the 2015-16 season. So his numbers are not as gaudy as some of the other defensemen in the 2009 class (82 points in 347 games), but few have been as dependable as Dumoulin, who is playing top-four minutes for a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup. Since becoming a full-time player, he has averaged 20:19 of ice time per game and won the Stanley Cup twice. -- Shawn P. Roarke, Senior Director of Editorial

24. Dmitry Orlov, D, Washington Capitals (No. 55 by Washington Capitals) -- Orlov has become a durable, dependable defenseman for Washington. He's played 397 consecutive games since the start of the 2015-16 season, the fifth-longest active streak in the NHL, after missing all of 2014-15 after breaking his wrist playing for Russia in the 2014 IIHF World Championship. Orlov's 180 points (37 goals, 143 assists) are eighth among defensemen in the 2009 draft class. He signed a six-year contract with the Capitals on June 30, 2017, and then helped them win the Stanley Cup for the first time in their 43-season history the following season. -- Jon Lane, staff writer

25. Dmitry Kulikov, D, Boston Bruins (No. 14 by Florida Panthers) -- Without needing to address any major holes in their lineup, the Bruins decided to add a little depth at defenseman. Although Kulikov certainly has shown he can contribute offensively -- he ranks seventh among defensemen from the 2009 draft with 10 power-play goals and 51 power-play points - it is his physical style of play and willingness to sacrifice his body that would've made him a fan favorite in Boston. Among defensemen in the 2009 draft class, he is second in blocked shots (908), third in hits (1,056) and seventh in takeaways (203). -- John Ciolfi, senior producer, LNH.com

26. Sami Vatanen, D, Anaheim Ducks (No. 106 by Anaheim Ducks) -- Just as they did 11 years ago (though 80 picks later than in real life), the Ducks chose to select Vatanen in a bid to get younger at defenseman, behind 35-year-old Scott Niedermayer and 34-year-old Chris Pronger. No worries whether he would be worth a first-round pick, however; his 194 points (45 goals, 149 assists) in 434 NHL games are seventh among defensemen in the 2009 class, and he has been a key contributor on the power play, with 86 points (21 goals, 65 assists), including an NHL career-high 19 (four goals, 15 assists) for the Ducks in 2015-16. -- Barry Rubinstein, manager, assignments

27. Robin Lehner, G, Carolina Hurricanes (No. 46 by Ottawa Senators) -- No way did I think the best goalie in the draft would be available this late. But any list of the list of the top NHL goalies right now has to include Lehner, who has had a career renaissance now that he's being treated for mental health and substance abuse issues. Among goalies to play at least 30 games in 2018-19, Lehner was second in the NHL with a .930 save percentage and third with a 2.13 goals-against average for the Islanders. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as best goalie in the NHL and won the Masterton Award for perseverance and dedication to the game. His numbers dropped off a bit this season with the Chicago Blackhawks (16-10-5, 3.01 GAA, .918 save percentage), but he's 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA, a .940 save percentage and one shutout since being traded to the Golden Knights on Feb. 24. In 10 seasons with the Senators, Sabres, Islanders, Blackhawks and Golden Knights, Lehner leads goalies in the 2009 draft class in games (301), wins (116) and save percentage (.918). -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

28. Kyle Clifford, LW, Chicago Blackhawks (No. 35 by Los Angeles Kings) -- The Blackhawks were entering the best stretch in their history with three Stanley Cup championships in six seasons beginning in 2009-10. They had the scoring, the defense and the goaltending, but what they never really had consistently was grit. Enter Clifford, who is second in penalty minutes (842), third in hits (1,493) and ninth in games (676) in the 2009 class. He also can contribute offensively (132 points; 61 goals, 71 assists) and helped the Kings win the Cup in 2012 and 2014. -- David Satriano, staff writer

29. Darcy Kuemper, G, Tampa Bay Lightning (No. 160 by Minnesota Wild) -- Kuemper has put together some good career numbers, going 96-72-29 with a 2.46 GAA and .918 save percentage in 215 NHL games. He was earning some Vezina buzz with the Arizona Coyotes this season (16-11-2, 2.22 GAA, .928 save percentage) before a lower-body injury sidelined him for two months. The Lightning were already in good shape at forward with Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, and at defenseman with Victor Hedman. Kuemper is a great addition. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

30. Casey Cizikas, C, Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 92 by New York Islanders) -- With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin already in the fold, there's no way I'm passing on the chance to select Cizikas and add to Pittsburgh's arsenal at center. Cizikas has scored 30 goals in 121 games since the start of 2018-19, including an NHL career-high 20 last season. His tenacity helps sets the tone from the start of games, and his ability to play on the penalty kill and against the opposition's best will help keep Crosby and Malkin fresh. -- Brian Compton, deputy managing editor