Based on contemporaneous articles, it seems there was doubt re who Montreal would take first, and that size was very important in Montreal's decision to go with Wickenheiser.
From a Globe article on April 8, 1980, after a one-goal win in their final regular season game cost the Jets the first overall pick.
The win tied the Jets with the Rockies for last place in the over-all standing but, because the Jets had one more victory than Colorado, they were awarded 20th place and lost the rights to the No. 1 selection in the NHL's entry draft. That was a plum Ferguson had been cherishing since the team was eliminated from the playoffs about a month ago. "I couldn't sleep all night I felt so bad," said Ferguson, who loses the No. 1 choice, probably defenceman David Babych of Portland Winter Hawks, to Montreal Canadiens. ...
Babych is considered the finest player available in the draft. He is a strapping 18-year-old defenceman, whose brother, Wayne, is a right winger with St. Louis Blues. Doug Wickenheiser, a talented centreman with Regina Pats who scored 89 goals this season, now is almost certainly ticketed for the Jets as the second choice over all. "Don't make any prejudgments," warned Ron Caron, Canadiens' director of player personnel and recruiting. "We will not be deciding until the Stanley Cup is over. We're still looking at possible candidates. Babych is excellent, Wickenheiser is a real player, too. Denis Savard (Montreal Juniors) is a very good player. There are a lot of good hockey players in this draft." The Canadiens are being pressed by the Quebec media to select Savard, a crafty centreman, and, if the Stanley Cup defending champions opt for either Babych or Wickenheiser, then Savard or defenceman Fred Arthur of Cornwall Royals will be taken by Chicago Black Hawks, who acquired the third pick over all in a trade with Colorado Rockies.
From a Globe article on June 7, 1980:
The following players - on the basis of Central Scouting's report and interviews with NHL general managers and scouts - are those most likely to be chosen in the draft's first round: David Babych (D) Portland; Doug Wickenheiser (C) Regina; Larry Murphy (D) Peterborough; Denis Savard (C) Montreal; Rick Lanz (D) Oshawa; Fred Arthur (D) Cornwall; Mike Allison (C) Sudbury; Normand Rochefort (D) Quebec; Brad Palmer (LW) Victoria; Craig Muni (D) Kingston; Jim Foxx (RW) Ottawa; Mike Blaisdell (RW) Regina; Mike Bullard (C) Brantford; Paul Coffey (D) Kitchener; Paul Gagne (C-RW) Windsor; Darren Veitch (D) Regina; Denis Cyr (RW) Montreal; Ken Solheim (LW) Medicine Hat; Jerome Dupont (D) Toronto; Barry Pedersen (C) Victoria; Rick Wilson (D) Kingston.
From another Globe article from June 7, 1980.
It's the belief of Central Scouting, a department of the NHL, and various NHL general managers, that David Babych, a 6-foot, 2-inch, 200- pound defenceman with Portland of the Western Junior Hockey League, is the best junior player available. But the Canadiens have a few top young defencemen and a few talented experienced ones in Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, so they will opt for Doug Wickenheiser of Regina Pats or Denis Savard of Montreal juniors, both centres.
Wickenheiser, 6 feet and 199 pounds, scored 171 points for the Pats last season and has the three Ts - talent, tenacity and toughness. Montreal fans would prefer that the club select Denis Savard, a local favorite who accumulated 181 points in 72 games last season. But Savard is a mere 5 feet, 9 inches and 165 pounds and, despite having fine centres in Pierre Larouche, Doug Jarvis, Doug Risebrough and Pierre Mondou, Canadiens don't have a big one like Wickenheiser. That, according to many NHL scouts, is the only advantage Wickenheiser has over Savard so it shouldn't be shocking if they select Savard instead.
And from the Globe on June 12, right after the draft:
The Canadiens passed on Babych, whose older brother, Wayne, plays for St. Louis Blues, because they already have a strong, balanced defensive corps and decided that a centre of Wickenheiser's calibre, to go along with Pierre Larouche, Doug Risebrough and Doug Jarvis, will be a major boost to the team. In 71 games for the Pats last season, Wickenheiser had 89 goals and 81 assists for 170 points. ''It's like having a weight taken off my shoulder,'' Wickenheiser said. ''I was in the dark until (yesterday) morning about who I'd end up with. I didn't really care what number I was picked. I was only interested in the team. ''I tried to stay away from the rumors about this for the past few months, but it was difficult. All I know now is that it's a great feeling getting picked by the Canadiens. They have so many great players.'' By choosing the 6-foot, 199-pound Wickenheiser, the Habs refused to bow to local pressure to draft Denis Savard, a centre with Montreal Juniors of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Savard, chosen third by Chicago Black Hawks, also is an excellent player, but is three inches shorter than Wickenheiser and about 45 pounds lighter. He had 63 goals and 118 assists last season. ''I'm not disappointed about not getting picked by Montreal,'' Savard said. ''I just wanted to be drafted high and I was. I can't complain about going to Chicago. It's a good city with a good team.'' This wasn't a year in which an abundance of top graduating juniors was available. After the 11th pick was made, most clubs drafted prospects for the future. Six 18-year-olds were selected in the first round, the first being defenceman Rick Wilson of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League's Kingston Canadians, who was drafted by St. Louis.
And from a Globe article during 1980 training camp:
One of the excuses for the decline of the former NHL rulers is that they lacked a big, strong, imposing centre. They needed someone along the lines of a Jean Beliveau or a Phil Esposito to skate with the offensive stars. Size was a primary consideration to ward off unsolicited attacks on Lafleur and Shutt.
It was for this reason that the Habs selected Wickenheiser from Regina Pats instead of a prolific but small scorer named Denis Savard from Montreal Juniors or a defenceman named David Babych of Portland Winter Hawks.
