Islanders Miss Out on Hometown Star After Bold Draft-Day Trade
Early Friday, the New York Islanders made a major move ahead of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles, trading defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens. In return, they received prospect Emil Heineman along with the 16th and 17th overall picks later that evening.
Many around the league believed the Islanders planned to package those two picks in a deal to move back into the top six, possibly to land Long Island native James Hagens. While taking Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick was expected, there was growing speculation that Hagens was their true target.
James Hagens
Drama unfolded when the Nashville Predators selected Brady Martin fifth overall, creating a path for Hagens to slide down the board. After the Flyers took Porter Martone at No. 6, the Boston Bruins scooped up Hagens at No. 7, ending any hope for the Islanders and their fans.
At a draft party held at UBS Arena, Islanders fans were visibly disappointed. Many had held out hope the team would pull off a last-minute trade to bring Hagens home, especially as he kept slipping past other teams. That dream was crushed when Boston GM Don Sweeney made the pick.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski shared a video on social media showing the mood shift among the Islanders faithful — from hopeful anticipation to clear frustration.
There were even rumors earlier in the day that the Islanders might trade Dobson directly to the Bruins for the No. 7 pick, but Boston had no reason to entertain that deal. When Hagens appeared on ESPN to speak with Bruins management, a technical glitch briefly cut the feed — perhaps sparing Islanders fans from an even more painful moment.