Islanders Predicted to Shockingly Pass on Matthew Schaefer in NHL Draft

The New York Islanders surprisingly won the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft despite entering the lottery with poor odds. New York will now have a chance to bring in a special player to help them make the next step forward.

Many around the NHL world are expecting the Islanders to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the pick. Schaefer is one of the better prospects in the draft class and could be a true game-changer for the Islanders.

But NHL writer Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report is going in a different direction. Richardson is predicting that the Islanders will pass on Schaefer to select James Hagens out of Boston College.

"Gazing into our crystal ball, we believe the Islanders will surprise everyone by choosing Boston College center James Hagens. He was our 2025 Way-Too-Early Mock Draft last August. Several notable draft pundits also had him as their top prospect at that time."

If the Islanders were to go in this direction, it would surely be a massive shock to everyone around the NHL. Schaefer is seen as the top pick, and the San Jose Sharks would be running to the phones to select him with the No. 2 pick.

But the Islander could always pull the surprise off, and it could make some sense. New York may want to go with a center rather than a defenseman, leading to the pick being made.

"Hagens was born and raised in Hauppauge, Long Island, and grew up an Islanders fan. However, we're basing our prediction mainly on the fact winger Cole Eiserman is among the Isles' top prospects. He's also a friend and former teammate of Hagens with the US National Team Development Program."

It remains to be seen what direction the Islanders will go in the draft, but Schaefer is the safe pick, until otherwise noted. New York has a lot of work to do across the roster, and this selection could start the rebuild process.