An exciting BC product checks in at number five
Welcome back to our feature on draft profiles for projected top picks in the upcoming 2025 NHL draft. Catch up with the previous ones here:
No 1: Matthew Schaefer
No 2: Michael Misa
No. 3: Porter Martone
No. 4: Anton Frondell
For the rankings, we have turned to the venerable Bob McKenzie from TSN for his listing of players. McKenzie’s list is typically in-tune with the NHL, because his rankings are an average that comes from surveying 10 active NHL scouts. As such, the list is set as follows for players we will look to profile in the coming weeks to spread some awareness and knowledge for Pittsburgh NHL fans to get to know some of the top prospects.
No. 5: James Hagens, 5’10” 177 pounds, C, Boston College (NCAA)
The case of James Hagens presents a very interesting one for NHL teams. Hagens absolutely popped in the early days, he put up the best stats ever during the U-17 World Challenge in 2023 (21 points in seven games) and the U-18 tournament (22 points over seven games in 2024). He was decorated and continued the production party in 2023-24 in his NTDP season (102 points in 58 games) and early in the process was considered the front-runner to be the presumptive number one overall pick in this draft. His U-20 World Juniors (nine points in seven games) wasn’t record breaking but very strong in his draft minus one season.
Presumptions, however, have shifted in the last 9-12 months with many observers believing that at least Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa have surpassed Hagens. Several others, like the McKenzie consensus ranking, show Hagens sliding a bit further into this fifth spot.
Hagens will likely be a top-5 pick, but just where he might be taken remains up in the air. There’s perhaps no small matter that his hometown team, the New York Islanders, won the lottery draft and get to select first. NYI was slotted 10th and this win puts them in position to at least consider their win to get moving up to get Hagens, if they want to break from conventional wisdom and forego the opportunity to add one of Schaefer/Misa. There’s no place for sentimentality at the top of the NHL draft, but the Isles’ surprising and fortuitous lottery win might just put them in “playing with house money” mode.
A bit of the shine has come off Hagens in the draft community due to his freshman season at Boston College where he “only” scored 37 points in 37 games. Playing at the 170ish pound range, there were concerns Hagens faded a bit down the stretch and needs more time to bulk up. There’s also the matter that Hagens was over-shadowed and marginalized at times by his two older linemates in former first round picks Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, who scored 49 and 48 points respectively. There was only one puck to go around, and Hagens sometimes got lost in the shuffle compared to his assertive wingers who didn’t need much center help at that level based on their skills.
That brings the question NHL teams picking early will have to solve: is Hagens a big-time impact player in higher levels or is he more of a supporting piece that will require superior players around him? If a team picking within the first few picks leans more towards the former, Hagens could exceed his draft ranking here. If teams are more inclined to the latter, prospects some, any or all of prospects in Martone, Frondell and even Caleb Desnoyers could be drafted ahead of Hagens and leave the BC product around towards pick 5-6.
They said it
”Hagens plays a pro-style game right now and has been impressive at every level displaying NHL skills and attributes with his hockey IQ being front and center. His vision, reads and skills are elite, and he executes plays with the composure of an NHL veteran. He deserves to be in the conversation as the top pick.”
I think people have lost the plot a little bit with James Hagens over this season. You look at his production relative to other elite NHL prospects playing in the NCAA and it’s forgivable to think something went wrong, but in my view, Hagens has shown exceptional growth in his game at a difficult level of play in a tough role. Largely centring Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, it seemed like their play styles didn’t quite resonate as expected to my eye. Leonard loves to possess the puck just as Hagens seems to, and it felt like Perreault had issues keeping up outside of being a complimentary give-and-go option with some finishing ability that Hagens was zipping past all night. Play just felt disjointed and strange a lot, but Hagens always looked great with an off-puck forechecking menace in Teddy Stiga just as he did last season at the U18s, and I would imagine those two are reunited next season if Perreault and Leonard jump to the NHL. Hagens specifically has shown consistently excellent metrics in many areas of my work. I would love to see him land more scoring chances for himself as he was one of the more infrequent shooters at the top end, but his wrist shot can be a tough one to stop when it comes out. Where he really shines is as a playmaker, with great success on the rush and in the offensive zone connecting with linemates and moving the puck where it needs to go. He’s quick on his feet, highly skilled, and highly creative. The thing that he’s really improved since he arrived at Boston College is the physical side of the game….He’s attacking puck carriers much more directly and throwing hits at a rate beyond names like Frondell, Bear, Martone, Nesbitt, and Desnoyers. He’s come a long way this year, and while I have him a shade behind the best in the class, he’s got a ton of potential to be a flashy, offensive second line centre with a growing level of grind to his game.
Hagens was the preseason No. 1 but has fallen partly due to some of the others finding unique ways to stand out. But Hagens has been ignored too much, in a sense. He had a point-per-game freshman season at Boston College while also putting up solid numbers en route to gold at the World Juniors. Add in record-breaking numbers at the U-17 World Challenge and U-18 World Championship and he’s easy to like. Hagens is smart, plays a great two-way game and can thrive with just about anyone. He has all the makings of being a No. 1 center on many NHL teams.
Hagens is always in motion. He’s exceptionally difficult to check and contain. On the power play he floats around the offensive zone in an attempt to find open ice and get pucks to the net. In all situations he displays dogged pursuit of the puck along the boards and works to win back possession for his group.
Hagens ended up producing 10G-25A in the regular season. He also played a significant role for Team USA’s gold medal-winning team at the world juniors, contributing 5G-4A in seven tournament games. His elite element is what he provides offensively. I envision a top line, scoring forward at the NHL level who pushes the play with speed and skill.
Hagens played well for Boston College this season. His production wasn’t as elite as some would have hoped after a sterling U.S. NTDP career, but he was still an important player on a great team. Hagens was also a go-to player for Team USA as they won gold at the World Juniors. He has a dynamic combination of skating and skill reminiscent of American centers like Logan Cooley and Jack Hughes. Hagens’ edge work is high-end and he’s extremely elusive in open ice. He makes a ton of difficult plays on the move and is a high-end playmaker. Hagens isn’t that big or physical, and can stay on the outside too much, but he gives a decent effort and coaches tend to lean on him. He has the potential to be a play-driving top two line center in the NHL.
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Hagens would be a great prospect for the Penguins to add, but he surely will be off the board by the time they’re set to pick at 11th. There could be a far-flung scenario where Hagens slides a bit and is still on the board around 5-6 and Pittsburgh could trade up (especially if the Pens are given NYR’s 12th overall pick) but the chances of him getting a Penguin jersey on draft day is remote. Of more significance and a fun area to watch will be just where in the top-5 Hagens will hear his name called.