Flyers met this week with James Hagens, who could be available with the No. 6 pick

Two years ago, the Flyers held a predraft meeting with Matvei Michkov in Voorhees before selecting him with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Could history be repeating itself?

The Inquirer has learned that James Hagens met with the Flyers earlier this week in New Jersey. The 18-year-old is one of several players who could be available for the Flyers when they pick at No. 6 in the first round of the NHL draft next Friday (7 p.m., ESPN, ESPN+).

This is common for teams after the NHL scouting combine, as several draft prospects have told The Inquirer they have met with teams in their respective cities since early June. Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr may even have hinted at the interview, which a source said happened on Tuesday, when he said at his predraft press conference the same day in Voorhees, “We have done a lot of interviews in person, and we will do more by Zoom here this week and next week.”

The process is about gathering information, although the book on Hagens is solid. The centerman had 11 goals and 37 points in 37 games as a freshman at Boston College this past season — on the same team as his older brother, Michael. He had nine points in seven games for the gold-medal winning United States at World Juniors.

But despite the impressive resumé, Hagens has dropped down a few draft boards. The Long Island product previously was considered an automatic No. 1 pick. That changed this year for most draft experts, which is why he is now listed as an option for the Flyers at No. 6 on several mock drafts.

“I just love to make my case,” Hagens said at the NHL scouting combine in early June. “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.”

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The Flyers have to love hearing that moxie, as Michkov also is highly competitive and often brings up winning a Stanley Cup. The only issue with Hagens, and probably part of why he fell, is that while he is a dynamic, highly skilled forward, he is the only top-tier center under 6 feet (he’s 5-foot-11).

“It’s something to consider,” Flyers general manager Danny Brière said Tuesday when asked about how important size is at No. 6. ”Just like the skating, the hockey sense, the competitive edge, it’s part of it. It probably doesn’t play into it as much as how competitive he is and the hockey sense. I think those things are probably more important, even the skating.

“We’re aware of it [taking size into consideration], but at the same time, we want to be careful. There are other areas we can protect those guys with the [Garnet] Hathaways of this world … the [Nick] Deslauriers, the [Nick] Seelers, like those guys. We’re aware, but at the end of the day, it shouldn’t sway us too much.”

The draft has several high-end centers, a position the Flyers desperately need, at the top. The word all season has been that the Orange and Black need a No. 1 center who can play with Michkov. Hagens possesses elite skating and playmaking ability, is dynamic on the ice, and could work seamlessly with the Russian phenom.

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One name is off the board as a potential offseason acquisition by the Flyers. Mavrik Bourque, who was set to be a restricted free agent on July 1, has signed a one-year, $950,000 deal to stay with the Dallas Stars. They also locked up defenseman Nils Lundkvist for one year, $1.25 million on Friday, and forward Matt Duchene for four years on Thursday. … Ryan Donato, who could have been a center option for the Flyers on the open market, re-upped with the Chicago Blackhawks for four years, $16 million on Thursday. He was coming off a season in which he notched a career-high in goals (31), assists (31), and points (62).