Everyone expected the New York Islanders to pull off a trade and pick James Hagens.
They already had Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall.
And after the Noah Dobson trade netted them a couple picks to work with on Friday night, the Islanders were positioned to move up and get the Long Island native.
But somehow, they didn’t get a deal done. Maybe the rumors were wrong. Maybe the teams in the top-five didn’t like the offers enough.
And then at No. 6, the Flyers passed, too.
The end result is all that matters for the Boston Bruins: Hagens is a Bruin.
Hagens, an 18-year old center, should be a star.
At one point, he was viewed as the No. 1 pick, but he fell barely out of that consideration.
Some draft boards still listed him as the second-best prospect, and the Bruins got him No. 7.
He was a star for the United States at the U18 Worlds, and then again at World Juniors.
He also was great this past winter as a freshman at Boston College.
Now, he gets to stay in Boston, from the Eagles to the Bruins.
It’s a huge, huge draft night win for Boston.
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