Flyers draft: Here’s what potential targets James Hagens, Jake O’Brien, and Anton Frondell said at the combine

BUFFALO, N.Y. — It’s been a long week in Upstate New York for the next crop of NHL stars.

After interviews with the NHL’s 32 teams — some met with as many as 30 or 31 — the 90 players, all of whom should hear their name called June 27 or June 28 when the league holds its annual draft, will put themselves through several physical tests to gauge their strength and mental toughness.

Before they head to the floor of the LECOM Harborcenter on Saturday, six of the draft’s top prospects chatted with the media.

» READ MORE: Who’ll join the Flyers with the No. 6 pick? Here are 8 options for Danny Brière and Co. in June’s draft.

Schaefer and Misa sat at the podium together, with Schaefer asking the media how everyone was doing. The two Ontario Hockey League stars have had different trajectories to the draft, but are expected to be the first two names called when the event commences in Los Angeles in a few short weeks.

A defenseman who says his comparables are Cale Makar and Miro Heiskanen, but also likes to play a tough game like Brandon Tanev, Schaefer is expected to go first to the New York Islanders. Despite playing only 17 games for Erie in juniors before suffering a broken collarbone two games into the World Juniors with Canada in December, he is the top-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.

“A hockey player always loves playing hockey, doesn’t like watching, and not being able to do a lot of things,” the fully healed Schaefer said. “I’ve been through a lot in my life, and I’d rather injury than losing someone I love. I mean, there’s a lot worse things that can happen than injuries, and I’m pretty positive with my mindset, and I’m driven to want to come back.”

Schaefer has dealt with a lot of adversity in his 18 years. Last year, his mother died from cancer two months after his billet mother passed. He spent the early part of the week at the Western New York Compassion Connection, speaking with kids going through something similar.

There’s a lot of maturity oozing from the young blueliner who stayed involved with his team despite being out. Schaefer stepped up and read the lineup and patted guys on the back for encouragement. And he also spoke of facing Misa in the OHL.

“Misa is a great player,” he said. “I got to play against him in the O quite a bit. So, yeah, he’s a very smooth forward, can put the puck in the back of the net. [His] skating ability is really good. His hockey IQ is another one that’s really off the charts. So great player on and off the ice.”

Misa, who said “thanks, bro” after that glowing recommendation from Schaefer, was granted early exception to skate in the OHL at just 15 years old. He just wrapped up his third season in juniors, scoring 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games for Saginaw. It was his first season getting more ice time as a center, although he compares his game to that of wingers Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov. While the San Jose Sharks hold the No. 2 pick in the draft, Misa believes he’s ready to contribute wherever he is picked.

“I feel like I am ready to make that jump next year, that’s also my goal, to make the NHL next year,” said Misa, who interviewed with the Flyers this week. “I think getting that center experience that I had this year definitely helped my game. And, you know, just trying to become that more reliable 200-foot player defensively as well. So, overall, yeah, I am ready to make that next step.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Hagens said his NHL comparable is Jack Hughes. A Long Island native, Hagens is the top-ranked American at the draft and is expected to be high on the Flyers’ draft board. The centerman had 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games as a freshman at Boston College — playing on the same team as his older brother, Michael — and nine points in seven games for the gold-medal winning United States at World Juniors.

Despite the resumé, he dropped down a few draft boards. For years leading into this draft, Hagens was talked about being the automatic No. 1. That changed this year for most draft experts.

“I think I just love to make my case,” he said. “I love to win. I want to be able to win a Stanley Cup with whatever team takes a chance on me, no matter where I go, I know I will bring my compete. I always want to win and hopefully be able to bring a Stanley Cup to an organization.”

One fan base that would love to see him play for their team is Islanders fans. There is a “Bring Hagens Home” campaign on the Island — and he knows all about it.

» READ MORE: The Flyers are poised to pick sixth in June’s draft. Here are six center prospects they could target.

“I think the first time I saw it was driving home from a workout and seeing someone’s bumper sticker, it was pretty funny,” he said. “It’s cool when you see something like that, when you see people on Long Island supporting it, it’s special.”

O’Brien tried to stay off his phone when it came to the rankings, too, but his team liked to bring it up to him, “which kind of [stinks],” he said. But it doesn’t matter where the Brantford Bulldogs center ranks because it seems the Flyers are honing in on him. While he and Hagens went to dinner with Utah together, O’Brien also broke bread with the Flyers.

At 6-foot-2, he has the type of skill set Philly is looking for — especially after potting 32 goals and 98 points in 66 regular-season games and another three goals and 11 points in 11 playoff games.

“My strengths are my smarts and hockey IQ, and my ability to pass the puck,” said O’Brien, who compares his game to that of Wyatt Johnston. “Things I need to work on are just my first three steps, kind of getting away from coverage and stuff, and then I want to work on my faceoffs.”

After Misa and Schaefer, Hagens and O’Brien are part of that next tier of prospects, including a handful of centers, that the Flyers will likely pick from.

It was fitting to stick the two Swedes together on the podium, as the pair were also teammates for Djurgårdens IF this season.

“It’s been pretty easy to play with Anton,” Eklund said. “We didn’t get to do it in the start of the season, but then we had to tell the coach that we needed to play [together] and we did. I think we did freak him out.”

What?

“Yeah, I think I told him 10 times,” Eklund said later in the press conference when asked if he really went and told the coach he needed to play with Frondell. Eklund said that at first the bench boss brushed him off, but after Christmas, the two kids were paired up.

“I just knew from the beginning that if we get the opportunity, we’ll take it and we’d be the best line,” Eklund said. “I think we did pretty good. Our coach probably got sick of me asking, so they finally put us together.”

» READ MORE: Flyers mock draft: Sizing up their three first-round picks and adding help at center

It was a smart move considering they helped the Stockholm-based club get back to Sweden’s top pro league. By the end of the season, the centerman, Frondell, had 11 goals and 25 points in 29 regular-season games and another three goals and seven points in 16 qualification games. Eklund, a winger who compares himself to Flyers forward Travis Konecny, had 19 goals and 31 points in 42 regular-season games and two goals and seven points in the same number of qualification games.

“Anton is a tank on the ice. He has a shot like a missile,” Eklund said of his buddy, who compares his game to that of Aleksander Barkov. Frondell returned the favor about Eklund saying: “He wins every battle, even when we play against men, Victor wins all the pucks, and it’s just easy for me finding an open spot.”

But while the two like playing together now, they aren’t too keen to be on opposite ends.

“I remember playing him and he made a move on me,” Eklund said of playing against Frondell as kids. “It was between my legs, and I just can’t forget that. He says he doesn’t remember that, but I kind of knew he was good.”

“I actually do remember that move,” Frondell responded to a room of laughter. “It was really good.”

So does it matter to the two friends who gets to hear their name called first at the draft?

“No, not at all. We’re just happy for each other,” Eklund said.

Frondell?

There was a long pause. A shrug. And everyone in the room, including Frondell, was roaring with laughter.

“No, I’m just kidding,” he said with a big grin. “We’ll be happy for each other.”