In the 2009 NHL Draft, John Tavares went #1, followed by Victor Hedman (#2) and Matt Duchene (#3). The first round was incredibly consistent, featuring Evander Kane (#4), Brayden Schenn (#5), and Oliver Ekman-Larsson (#6). Nazem Kadri (#7) and Chris Kreider (#19) became crucial playoff performers. Ryan O'Reilly was a massive second-round steal at 33rd. Overall, 2009 was a high-floor draft, with the top picks making almost immediate NHL impacts. It produced an elite crop of centers and one of the best all-around defensemen of the modern era in Hedman.
Career earnings of players picked in the first round of the 2009 NHL entry draft.
| John Tavares | C | 1 | New York Islanders | $116,541,463 | 16 | $143,797,472 | 31 |
| Victor Hedman | D | 2 | Tampa Bay Lightning | $94,456,098 | 46 | $114,371,721 | 74 |
| Matt Duchene | C | 3 | Colorado Avalanche | $91,019,105 | 53 | $112,094,432 | 78 |
| Evander Kane | C | 4 | Atlanta Thrashers | $78,481,098 | 94 | $98,033,666 | 126 |
| Brayden Schenn | C | 5 | Los Angeles Kings | $71,436,829 | 121 | $85,058,905 | 178 |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 6 | Phoenix Coyotes | $83,576,830 | 72 | $101,168,969 | 114 |
| Nazem Kadri | C | 7 | Toronto Maple Leafs | $66,274,146 | 152 | $79,306,970 | 209 |
| Jared Cowen | D | 9 | Ottawa Senators | $9,274,146 | 1425 | $12,737,471 | 1490 |
| Magnus Paajarvi | LW | 10 | Edmonton Oilers | $7,240,829 | 1631 | $9,769,114 | 1745 |
| Ryan Ellis | D | 11 | Nashville Predators | $59,710,000 | 201 | $70,378,381 | 271 |
| Calvin de Haan | D | 12 | New York Islanders | $31,161,829 | 582 | $39,339,526 | 650 |
| Zack Kassian | RW | 13 | Buffalo Sabres | $23,120,147 | 777 | $28,700,855 | 867 |
| Dmitry Kulikov | D | 14 | Florida Panthers | $42,190,732 | 390 | $54,447,638 | 416 |
| Peter Holland | C | 15 | Anaheim Ducks | $7,158,829 | 1642 | $9,500,355 | 1773 |
| Nick Leddy | D | 16 | Minnesota Wild | $62,976,829 | 172 | $77,452,509 | 221 |
| David Rundblad | D | 17 | St. Louis Blues | $3,470,000 | 2345 | $4,802,220 | 2506 |
| Louis Leblanc | C | 18 | Montreal Canadiens | $1,336,829 | 3488 | $1,860,201 | 3710 |
| Chris Kreider | C | 19 | New York Rangers | $65,376,829 | 158 | $78,611,153 | 212 |
| Jacob Josefson | C | 20 | New Jersey Devils | $7,151,829 | 1644 | $9,835,350 | 1737 |
| John Moore | D | 21 | Columbus Blue Jackets | $21,784,646 | 809 | $27,734,099 | 891 |
| Jordan Schroeder | C | 22 | Vancouver Canucks | $4,396,829 | 2102 | $5,759,921 | 2286 |
| Tim Erixon | D | 23 | Calgary Flames | $1,126,829 | 3644 | $1,556,412 | 3977 |
| Marcus Johansson | C | 24 | Washington Capitals | $40,226,829 | 424 | $51,244,236 | 455 |
| Jordan Caron | RW | 25 | Boston Bruins | $2,926,829 | 2511 | $4,185,659 | 2659 |
| Kyle Palmieri | F | 26 | Anaheim Ducks | $53,826,829 | 249 | $64,688,624 | 314 |
| Dylan Olsen | D | 28 | Chicago Blackhawks | $2,587,439 | 2672 | $3,603,984 | 2848 |
| Carter Ashton | RW | 29 | Tampa Bay Lightning | $1,660,500 | 3219 | $2,278,513 | 3459 |
| Simon Despres | D | 30 | Pittsburgh Penguins | $4,874,146 | 2002 | $6,606,137 | 2142 |