The New York Islanders are in a unique spot at this year's draft after winning the lottery and getting the first-overall selection. The expected choice is Matthew Schaefer, which is unfortunate for Boston College Eagle James Hagens, a Long Island native, who would love to play for his hometown team.
The Islanders could believe that they could get Hagens with the Boston Bruins' seventh-overall selection, which has been a topic of discussion between the teams, according to Stefen Rosner.
Rosner also reported that the Bruins had interest in Jean-Gabriel Pageau last week. Still, those talks have expanded to reportedly include Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, and the seventh overall selection.
The Bruins' interest in the pending restricted free agent Dobson is nothing shocking, but their interest in Romanov is a new report. Romanov is also a pending RFA, and he could be an expendable asset if the Islanders select Schaefer first overall. The same goes for Dobson, who had a career-high 70 points in 2023-24 but struggled this past season.
There are many moving pieces when it comes to the report about the Islanders and Bruins' trade talks. Rosner mentions the draft picks, Dobson, Romanov, and Pageau, but he also touches on the type of assets that could be heading the other way. One that he circled was Mason Lohrei, who is another RFA.
The Bruins need some help on their right side, which is where the Dobson rumors come in. It's possible that the Bruins could be looking at a deal that lands them Dobson for the seventh-overall pick, with Lohrei also going the other way. Romanov would also be an addition to the trade to help replace Lohrei.
It could be all smoke and mirrors, but the reports coming out of there would lead us to believe that the movement would look something like this:
Bruins Receive: Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Islanders receive: Seventh-Overall pick (James Hagens), Mason Lohrei
It'd be quite the move if the Bruins pull it off, as they likely believe the three pieces coming the other way would put them a step closer to contending next season. It would stop them from upgrading their prospect pool, and most Bruins fans would rather they build that up and get a young prospect at No. 7.
It's hard to ignore that a defense core of Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Dobson, and Romanov would be a scary group. Pageau still doesn't fix the offensive issues, but Sweeney could try to upgrade that through free agency and trade.
Would a healthy McAvoy and Lindholm, a resurging Jeremy Swayman, and these new acquisitions get you excited about the 2025-26 season? It would likely depend on how active Sweeney was in the rest of free agency.