Islanders could pass on Misa and go for Hagens (here’s why it's a power play)

Common sense tells me that the Islanders will and should take either Michael Misa or Matthew Schaefer, and I’ve been beyond vocal about this team rolling with Misa. That said, I’m not rehashing why that’s the case. 

Instead, I’d rather get speculative and talk about what would make taking James Hagens enticing, even if it doesn’t look that way on paper. Okay, maybe to Isles fans it does, because he has local ties, and I get that. 

Hagens didn’t produce anywhere near what Misa did, and that should knock him down to at least third overall to the Chicago Blackhawks. But, to be frank, it wouldn’t surprise me if Hagens fell further. Yet, while the rest of the NHL universe would be surprised if Hagens went No. 1 to the Isles, it wouldn’t sway me or the Islanders fanbase.

Yeah, I’d be eager to know why they passed on Schaefer or Misa, but there may be a method to the logic here. And, as someone who likes thinking up unconventional organizational moves, it would become highly logical (albeit risky) for why one would roll with Hagens over Misa when they take a deeper dive.

James Hagens is (probably) a trial player this season, meaning…

I can’t see Hagens going straight into the NHL under any circumstances this season. At least, not until he plays one more year at Boston College, before getting that cameo appearance toward the end of the year that would last between five and eight games. 

Meanwhile, the Isles would have a power play here because, should they draft Hagens No. 1 only to see him return to school and shed a few players this offseason, chances are they’re going to be bad. Really bad. But with some older players in the lineup who can still play. At least for the start of the season. 

That gives the Islanders a chance to increase their odds to land the top pick again in 2026. This would prevent them from winning the draft lottery again should all the cards fall into place, but would put them in a position to draft Gavin McKenna.  

Islanders would also gain prospects and draft capital at the 2026 trade deadline

As for the remaining players not moved? That’s what the 2026 trade deadline is for. At that point, the Isles would be making more room for Hagens and, hopefully should everything fall into place, McKenna. Then, there’s Mathew Barzal, Cole Eiserman, Calum Ritchie, Simon Holmstrom, Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov - should the trio re-sign.

That would be a good crop of youngsters, but why couldn’t the Isles do the same with Misa, you may ask? Easy. If Misa’s drafted, it means the Islanders are retooling, and not going for what may be a faster-than-expected rebuild. 

But, going with Misa over Hagens would be the safer option, even if a retool may not maximize the organization’s ceiling, since it would keep more of the players they already got for now. That said, rolling with Hagens screams ‘power play.’ But as with any power play, a lot needs to happen for it to convert. 

So, in comes the burning question: If you’re the Islanders, do you go with Misa (or Schaefer) and enter a likely retool, with a lower ceiling and potentially smaller championship window? Or, do you go with the high-upside pick in Hagens, knowing there could be a way to speed up a rebuild? 

The latter is the ultimate power play, but it would take moving those veterans in the summer and at the trade deadline, then winning the top pick for the second and final time in a five-year span.