New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche explored trading the 16th and 17th picks, obtained from the Montreal Canadiens in the Noah Dobson deal, for a top-10 selection to draft Boston College standout and Long Island native James Hagens. However, no viable agreement was reached, and the 18-year-old forward was chosen seventh overall by the Boston Bruins.
“He was definitely a target of ours,” Darche commented after the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday night. “We valued him highly on our list. We tried to make something happen when there was great value available to get him, but he’s a good player, and that’s why the [Bruins] picked him.”
Hagens, hailing from Hauppauge, expressed his desire to play for his hometown team during the pre-draft process. At Boston College, he notched 11 goals and 26 assists (37 points) in 37 games, along with nine points in seven games for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships.
“I want to win a Stanley Cup as an Islander,” Hagens stated on the NHL Draft Class podcast earlier this month. “The last time they won, my dad was a kid. It’d mean a lot to my family, Long Island, and the team’s supporters to bring the Stanley Cup home.”
Speculation grew after the Islanders traded Dobson for back-to-back mid-first-round picks that they intended to move up for Hagens.
“Sometimes it takes two to tango,” Darche remarked. “You can make proposals, but if the other team isn’t interested, and there’s a reason for those top 10 picks, we couldn’t move up because they’re good players, and the teams wanted them.”
The Islanders found a silver lining with solid choices. After selecting Mathew Schaefer at No. 1 overall, they secured winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson at 16 and 17.
“Sometimes everything happens for a reason. The players we drafted at 16 and 17 were much higher on our list, and we’re thrilled they were available,” Darche said. “We explored various options, but it had to be sensible for us. We tried many things, but ultimately, nothing made sense for us.”
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