Just hours away from picking first overall at the 2025 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders are rumored to have a major swap in the works that would ship out defenseman Noah Dobson in order to land a born and bred Long Islander in the first round.
The Isles are in all likelihood going to hang on tight to the first overall draft pick, according to GM Mathieu Darche, and consensus says that pick will be defenseman Matthew Schaefer. But the more intriguing option is using Dobson as leverage to land another top five selection, and then using that pick to draft a hometown hero.
NCAA prospect James Hagens is from Hauppauge, N.Y. which is just a 30 minute drive away from the Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders' old home arena for many decades. But Hagens has much more to offer the team than a good storyline -- he is a fast and dynamic center with a strong hockey IQ.
The 18-year-old has drawn comparisons to someone like Jack Hughes, who also comes out of the US National Team Development Program. Both forwards are fast, creative, and strong on the attack offensively. But Hagens has also gotten praise for his ability to play in the defensive zone, and was a standout in his freshman season at Boston College with 37 points in as many games.
In order to get a pick high enough to select Hagens, the Islanders would need to make a deal with either the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth, or Nashville Predators as there's a small chance Hagens falls outside of the top five. But getting that high of a pick via trade would mean the Isles need a serious bargaining chip if the other team is going to pass up on a potentially franchise-changing prospect.
Sources indicate #isles have shifted approach in Noah Dobson talks from roster players to futures and Round 1 picks tonight.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 27, 2025
Belief is NYI seeking to package return to reach up and grab Long Island native James Hagens.
Lot of work ahead for Darche to make #Schaegens a reality.
So how do the Islanders pull this off? There are layers to this trade rumor, which could see New York deal Dobson for a late first-rounder and then use that pick to trade up to the top five.
Enter the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs have been brought up the most in trade talks surrounding Dobson, who is a skilled puck-moving defensive with a high offensive upside, but the St. Louis Blues are reportedly interested in Dobson too.
However, Montreal has back-to-back picks in this year's draft at No. 16 and No. 17. There are strong targets for defenseman even at that point in the first round, but why not hit the fast forward button and instead aquire a blueliner like Dobson who is ready for top-pairing minutes immediately?
If the 25-year-old defender gets sent to the Canadiens for either of those two picks, then New York could use that selection and maybe package it with a later round draft pick to craft a deal for that top five spot.
If Darche can make this happen, then it would be one of the biggest draft day trades since the Vancouver Canucks were involved in three straight deals to acquire the picks used to draft Daniel and Henrik Sedin back in 1999. That year, GM Brian Burke gave up Bryan McCabe and a first-rounder to acquire Chicago's fourth overall pick, then used that in a package to get the first overall selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Burke promptly dealt the first overall pick to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for the second overall pick, which allowed him to draft both Sedins at No. 2 and No. 3.
It takes a certain level of craftsmanship to make such a splashy trade, and one that will pay off in the end. But if Darche finds a way to land both Schaefer and Hagens tonight, he will immediately earn the respect of fans in his first year as the Islanders GM.