LOS ANGELES — The mystery of the NHL draft Friday night surrounds James Hagens. There’s the question of whether the Long Island native who came into the season as the potential No. 1 pick could slide as far as 10th or 11th. There’s the much-rumored possibility the Islanders will find a way to move back into the top 10 to take the hometown kid.

LOS ANGELES – His uber-competitive nature pushes James Hagens of Hauppauge to believe he should be the first pick in the NHL Draft on Friday night at The Peacock Theater.

In early May, the New York Islanders won the NHL’s Draft Lottery after entering with a 3.5% chance of the ping pong balls falling their way. After hiring new General Manager Mathieu Darche later that month, there has been plenty of speculation about what the Islanders will do.