James Hagens

[Chapin Landvogt]

How does he being an Islander fan and form the Island justify passing on better players for him?

Oh, don't come at me with that.

Not when I wrote this:

I didn't say in any of the posts in this thread that Hagens should be picked #1 or ahead/instead of Schaefer.

It's all been about exploring a trade for the 3rd/4th/5th pick based on Dobson as the key return.

Any bringing to light of what benefits "Hagens -> Islanders" would be and what kind of a player he might become has to do with shedding light on what arguments management might have to make a deal in order to select him - in addition to using the 1st overall pick on the BPA.

 

[ScaredStreit]

But Hagens is not from Michigan, Canada, Europe, or whatever.

He's from the Island.

He's an avowed Islander fan and is the son of hockey person who Long Islanders in the hockey community all know.

And no matter what plateauing or staleness in his progress folks feel they've recognized in a year where he put up a PPG as a pureblood freshman against often older competition and 9 points & a +8 in 7 WJC games on the way to gold, he was THE dominant player in his age group in DY-2 and DY-1.

There wasn't any question coming into the season.

No-one has done at the U18 Worlds what he has. Heck, he outdid Auston Matthews, who like him was one of the few players ever to be at the U18 Worlds and a topscorer for two events before his respective draft year. In fact, Matthews had 22 points combined in two outings. Hagens had 22 points alone at last spring's event, the most ever by a player.

Long story short, he's the closest thing to a prodigal son with franchise face value that this organization has encountered to date.

And none of us should think this won't play a role in the thought process of this organization heading into the draft.

One shouldn't even think it shortsighted.

We've been burned by Tavares. To grab a player of this ilk with an immense possibility that he'd bleed blue & orange and spend his whole career here, is not to be played down or mocked as unimportant.

Especially when the belief is that, overall, he's some mix of Hughes, Cooley, Suzuki, and Beniers moving forward.

So, if you're taking Schaefer 1st overall and then 2 or 3 picks later you've got the opportunity to use Dobson as the key piece in grabbing Hagens, then all the aspects mentioned by @Throttle (James Hagens) are certainly going to play a role and they have a great deal of validity.

Adding to that is that in DeAngelo and Boqvist, you've got options right on the doorstep to cover Dobson's PP role and overall offensive output for the here and now.

And we've got no idea who Darche will be wanting to bring in here via trade or free agency.

Looking at Dobson in a vacuum is unrealistic. We are at a crossroads with him, one way or another.

Decisions have to be made.

The concern of Hagens being selected over Schaefer is very understandable and must be considered highly unlikely.

But thoughts of deals moving Dobson in order to select Hagens are going to sway around the chattersphere over the next month.

And I'd say, with good reason.

Oh, don't come at me with that.

Not when I wrote this:
View attachment 1042244

I didn't say in any of the posts in this thread that Hagens should be picked #1 or ahead/instead of Schaefer.

It's all been about exploring a trade for the 3rd/4th/5th pick based on Dobson as the key return.

Any bringing to light of what benefits "Hagens -> Islanders" would be and what kind of a player he might become has to do with shedding light on what arguments management might have to make a deal in order to select him - in addition to using the 1st overall pick on the BPA.

Why do people want to move Dobson to get Hagens? It's because Hagens is from Long Island and an Islanders fan. It's why I haven't seen anyone mention trading Dobson to get Misa.

 

[Throttle]

Why do people want to move Dobson to get Hagens? It's because Hagens is from Long Island and an Islanders fan. It's why I haven't seen anyone mention trading Dobson to get Misa.

There’s a bunch of Hagens LI koolaid going on that’s all - fans think he would be some local holy grail.

On the actual move, it’s really about not wanting to pay Dobson $8-9M, there’s external value as a young right D that can net a nice return, and with the 1st overall and two 1st rounders next year, the Isles can enhance their prospect pipeline of higher end talent rather quickly.

Dobson is a not a needle mover and worth $8-9M, let another sucker pay him. The Isles can cover Dobson via UFA or trade this offseason, yet have Shaffer and Hagens in the fold. Why not Miss? Probably because he’s the believed 2nd pick behind Schaefer and the scenario presumes he’s gone and Hagens can be picked a 3-6.

 

[seabass45]

Dobson straight up for pick 3, 4, or 5 won't be happening.

When we found out the Isles would pick 1st overall, the first thing I started thinking about is how you get Schaefer AND Hagens.

And the first thing stated was that it would hurt. So, a signed Dobson was the starting point and then Ritchie was the most logical attachment.

Now, I realize most will see that as "crazy talk" and straight up, it is. That was also admitted.

But the idea was more about what it would take to make this happen.

Not because it has to.

It's more about if and how much the owners and new management want the BPA and the hometown hero story.

And if it might be, then for me the question becomes if Dobson and Ritchie (and perhaps you throw in Finley) for #3 and Rinzel is doable deal from all sides?

For Chicago, it would basically mean that they're pushing the timeline of the rebuild up a notch. They've got the cap space.

They've got Levshunov, Korchinski, and Vlasic. That blueline starts to look a lot more formiddable.

Would Ritchie for them substitute anything they'd have been after by drafting a Hagens/Frondell/Martone.

For the Isles, it would mean deciding against the big, expensive contract Dobson is getting and also for the addition of hometown Hagens over the much closer Ritchie.

Again, this is not about if it's the best route to go or a thought about "we should do this".

It's solely a look at what might be doable if management were exploring a tolerable way to get both Schaefer and Hagens.

And admittedly, without even considering giving up any '26 picks.

***
I write this thinking that the team simply takes Schaefer and then keeps its ears open for other possibilities.

I’d be tempted but I dunno if Chicago takes that, Martone seems like a nice fit there. That said, BOTH SJ and Chicago need to start moving out of the rebuild phase so you’d think they might be tempted by something around Dobson but at this point fans at least seem to be aware that he struggled this year (offering him in a bunch of trade threads will do that).

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Why do people want to move Dobson to get Hagens? It's because Hagens is from Long Island and an Islanders fan. It's why I haven't seen anyone mention trading Dobson to get Misa.

This is the "James Hagens" thread.

Start a Misa thread and see who'd be up to moving Dobson+ to get him.

***
If what you're saying is basically that you don't think the Hagens story is one management and ownership should be interested in, because Hagens isn't worth it as a player, then that's one thing.

I'm sure many in Islanderville feel that way.

But the need to say that is probably rooted in a fear that management/ownership may actually want that story here - and it'd understandably come at a price.

Which you're hoping isn't paid just to get that story here.

And I'm sure many in Islanderville feel that way too.

We have a good month to simply speculate before we find out what's gonna go down.

Alas, always reason to believe a new GM coming in will be looking to make a splash of some sort. The draft is often a place to do just that.

***
From what I'm gathering, this draft is going to pretty much be exactly like the one in 2020 during Covid.

And that means, we won't get to have the joy of watching/hearing about the GMs and scouts down on the floor having chats with each other.

Or the booes or ewwws and ahhhs of Bettman saying we have a trade to announce.

Feels very anticlimatic in a year where we're picking 1st overall.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I’d be tempted but I dunno if Chicago takes that, Martone seems like a nice fit there. That said, BOTH SJ and Chicago need to start moving out of the rebuild phase so you’d think they might be tempted by something around Dobson but at this point fans at least seem to be aware that he struggled this year (offering him in a bunch of trade threads will do that).

If we take the Hagens equation out of this discussion, but stick with the draft, I'm thinking the most likely Dobson trade partner that makes mucho sense would be Montreal.

They pick 16th and 17th. They have 2 second rounders. They have a boatload of prospects and players on the cusp.

One could understand a desire on their behalf to have a Dobson there to be the ying to Hutson's yang.

And the Habs are clearly ready to move on from rebuilding to regular playoff participant.

Wouldn't be surprised in the least if Hughes thinks Dobson is worth a 1st and 2nd in this summer's draft plus Mailloux. And perhaps even another prospect contract like Kapanen. Those losses would barely be felt in their troves of picks and prospects.

Or maybe I'm off a bit? Looks like a match could be there.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

It's because Hagens is from Long Island and an Islanders fan.

One of the dumbest things this team could do is pick a player based on that.

 

[ScaredStreit]

There’s a bunch of Hagens LI koolaid going on that’s all - fans think he would be some local holy grail.

On the actual move, it’s really about not wanting to pay Dobson $8-9M, there’s external value as a young right D that can net a nice return, and with the 1st overall and two 1st rounders next year, the Isles can enhance their prospect pipeline of higher end talent rather quickly.

Dobson is a not a needle mover and worth $8-9M, let another sucker pay him. The Isles can cover Dobson via UFA or trade this offseason, yet have Shaffer and Hagens in the fold. Why not Miss? Probably because he’s the believed 2nd pick behind Schaefer and the scenario presumes he’s gone and Hagens can be picked a 3-6.

If Dobson isn't worth the pick, how can we expect another team to make the move?

 

[beach]

If we take the Hagens equation out of this discussion, but stick with the draft, I'm thinking the most likely Dobson trade partner that makes mucho sense would be Montreal.

They pick 16th and 17th. They have 2 second rounders. They have a boatload of prospects and players on the cusp.

One could understand a desire on their behalf to have a Dobson there to be the ying to Hutson's yang.

And the Habs are clearly ready to move on from rebuilding to regular playoff participant.

Wouldn't be surprised in the least if Hughes thinks Dobson is worth a 1st and 2nd in this summer's draft plus Mailloux. And perhaps even another prospect contract like Kapanen. Those losses would barely be felt in their troves of picks and prospects.

Or maybe I'm off a bit? Looks like a match could be there.

I was watching a podcast on YouTube hosted by Montreal media guys, and they thought the Darche hire would open up the Habs-Isles trading pipeline.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

One of the dumbest things this team could do is pick a player based on that.

Sounds like a Charles Wang move

 

[Sparksrus3]

Rebuilding and selling off assets will get your more lottery tickets, but there is no guarentee.

Now with the college route, he could pull a Fox and refuse to sign/force someones hand to go where he wants, but that's about it.

His brother is in the 2024 draft as a defenseman, finding a way to draft him might be a start. They are both going to Boston College as they wanted to play together.

We always draft the crappy brother .” It’s a Jersey Mikes Thing “. LGI

We take the D then get worse next season ( not on purpose just age and no talent coming in ) . The real prize is next year and in my Bettman conspiracy thinking since he gave Crosby to Lemieux I believe he gave us #1 this year because there is no generational player and UBS got screwed out of an All Star game due to this international hockey event BS. Just my take

Unless we take Hagens at #1 it doesn’t happen

 

[MarsTBOW]

We always draft the crappy brother .” It’s a Jersey Mikes Thing “. LGI

We take the D then get worse next season ( not on purpose just age and no talent coming in ) . The real prize is next year and in my Bettman conspiracy thinking since he gave Crosby to Lemieux I believe he gave us #1 this year because there is no generational player and UBS got screwed out of an All Star game due to this international hockey event BS. Just my take

Unless we take Hagens at #1 it doesn’t happen

I said the same thing....
The world is run by 2 things.....
Blackmail and Payback....
Hopefully we get to pick top 3 next year too!

 

[Sparksrus3]

I said the same thing....
The world is run by 2 things.....
Blackmail and Payback....
Hopefully we get to pick top 3 next year too!

I feel Sorokin is so good he will steal enough games to keep us out of the elite pick spots just like TR91TOR carried us to all those #4 and #5 overall picks when we were far worse of a team