Sometimes, the stars align. That might be what's happening for the New York Islanders, a division rival for the New Jersey Devils. They surprisingly won the NHL Draft Lottery, giving them the rights to the first overall pick. The 2025 NHL Draft isn't the best draft, which is probably why the Devils aren't upset that they won't have the 18th overall pick because of the Jacob Markstrom trade. Still, seeing a division rival get the first-overall pick is not ideal.
However, this year there could be a poison pill for the Islanders, and it's that "stars align" moment that could be too good to pass up. James Hagens has been the consensus number-one overall pick to watch in this draft coming into the 2024-25 season. He looked like the one that's closest to the generational talent.
Like many "consensus" picks before him, Hagens saw his stock fall precipitously this past season. He did play for the NCAA team that was at the top of the standings most of the season in Boston College, and he was a point-per-game player as a freshman. Yet, something just felt off about him. He didn't look like a generational talent.
What changes things here is that Hagens is from Long Island. He grew up rooting for the Islanders, and he still skates on Long Island in the offseason. He breathes that region, and the fanbase would immediately fall in love with him.
Devils fans should be rooting for a James Hagens choice to the New York Islanders
There's an emotion to this pick for New York. They still don't have a general manager, but the longer it goes, the more that ownership could have a say in the pick. Without proper scouting, they could just go for the emotional pick over players like defenseman Matthew Schaefer and forward Michael Misa.
Hagens is slightly undersized, but that isn't the issue. It's the familiarity that comes with playing at home. Will he be motivated to play for his home team? Sure, but there will also be more distractions than anyone can possibly expect. He will have people asking him for tickets or autographs or meet-and-greets because he's the hometown boy.
That's too much for any young player to handle. Him going to New York is asking him to be more than just a top prospect. It's asking him to be a savior. It's asking him to be Mr. Everything from day one. With a new GM coming in, that might make it worse. At least Lou Lamoriello would have kept everything in check with his approach to the business. Someone new won't have that approach, and it could lead to unnecessary pressure on Hagens.
For the Metropolitan Division, teams want the Islanders to make a mistake. It's a dog-eat-dog world, and we're all rooting against each other. Hagens going to New York has upside, but it also has more pressure than any other option.