Drafts are funny things. "Experts" declare who they feel are the top picks in the draft, and other teams can feel the pressure to draft that player. We saw this play out wonderfully in this year's NFL draft and the precipitous fall of Shedeur Sanders.
The NHL draft is pretty much the same. Most hockey experts feel that Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa are the top two prospects. It's pretty interchangeable for the most part, but Schaefer and Misa are most likely the one-two, respectively. After that, it's pretty much wide open, although there is a crop of guys who are likely top-ten picks.
But what if you like a guy who isn't supposed to be the first overall pick? And let's say you have the top pick and are high on someone else. What do you do? The Hockey News's Vinnie Parise has such a scenario in this year's draft.
In his scenario, the New York Islanders, the holders of the top pick in the draft, would trade down to third overall with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would then select Misa to act as a linemate to Connor Bedard. The San Jose Sharks, with the second pick, would then select Schaefer. The Islanders, now at third, would then select Boston College forward James Hagens.
Why Hagens instead of the consensus top two? Hagen is from Hauppauge, New York, a town in Suffolk County on Long Island. And guess what....he grew up an Islanders fan. That's right. The Islanders are seriously considering drafting a hometown kid. That would probably help grow their fan base and make him an instant hero. As a third pick, Hagens would be a solid pick as he could go anywhere from three to eight, depending on which draft expert you are reading.
What This Scenario Means to the Flyers
Ok, the Flyers still can't trade into the top group. But if Hagens goes third overall, that could cause a ripple effect. Players that "should go ahead" of him would fall, which would start cascading other players down. More of the players that the Flyers could be looking at could be available.
This could open up a player like Anton Frondell, Roger McQueen, or Caleb Desnoyers. There is also the unlikely scenario that Jake O'Brien might slip to the Flyers at sixth.
We don't know if the Islanders and Hawks would be interested in flipping picks, but we all know the howls that would occur if the Islanders would pick Hagens overtop the others. Likewise, they could easily drop back two spots, get the guy they want, and add more draft capital and/or a prospect.
If this happens, the Flyers should pay attention and see how the rest of the board could shake down. Maybe some could slip. Remember, Matvei Michkov fell into the Flyers' hands a few years ago. Lightning could strike again.