2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: James Hagens
Upside Hockey's NHL Draft profile series: American Edition Volume 30
Upside Hockey’s prolific prospect profiler Trevor Curtis’s 2025 NHL draft eligible prospect profiles are all featured on our dedicated page for this with all featured prospects indexed in our table of contents alphabetically by last name. For the 2024 NHL Draft, we had well over 200 prospect profiles completed.
Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 30):
LHC James Hagens (5'10.5", 176lbs)
Boston College (NCAA): 37gp/ 11g/ 26a/ 37pts, +24, 21 PIM.
I would dare to say that James Hagens had a bit more luster after the 2023-24 season than he does at the present time; nobody would have challenged the notion that he would be the first-overall pick in the 2025 Draft last summer, but there are a few doubters now. Bob McKenzie stated in his Mid-season Draft Rankings that scouts have anointed Matt Schaefer the most-likely first-overall pick this summer, with the only race being Hagens, Misa, and Martone vying for the number-2 spot. He also declared that some scouts that he has talked to have projected Hagens to be a second-line C in the NHL.
Hagens has produced the best numbers all-time for the U-17 Tournament (21 points in 7 games in 2023), the U-18 Tournament (22 points in 7 games in 2024), and is the 8th-highest scorer in a NTDP season (102 points in 58 games in 2023-24). In the current season, in the NCAA he had 37 points in 37 games, playing on the highest-ranked team in the NCAA, the Boston College Eagles. Those numbers should be considered mind-blowing for any draft-eligible freshman, but when his points-per-game (1.0) is compared to some recently-drafted, highly regarded centers in the same situation, namely Jack Eichel (1.78 ppg), Adam Fantilli (1.81 ppg), and Mack Celebrini (1.68), suddenly a 5'10"center might not shine quite so bright to a team with a top-3 pick. In Hagens' defense he is most likely being asked to be much more defensively responsible against men than he ever has been before in lower levels, and he has responded with the 4th-best plus-minus in the NCAA, at +18. That's something, right?
Hagens is a high-end, dynamic offensive weapon and game-breaker with incredible skill, who has a near-psychic way of seeing the ice and reading his opponents. His passes are crisp and accurate, with perfect precision and timing, and are often directed right to a teammate's wheelhouse in high-danger. His vision is uncanny, his creativity is incredible, and his awareness is spectacular, allowing him to connect on the most jaw-dropping plays through the smallest seams, with every kind of pass imaginable- from slip passes, to drop passes, to saucer passes, as well as over sticks, under sticks, and through triangles.
He possesses elite hockey IQ, and is always a few steps ahead of the action, with the ability to constantly drive play. Though he leans towards playmaking as his main weapon of choice, he owns a strong shooting arsenal and can pick corners with a rather hard and accurate wrister, but he can fool goalies in-tight with his silky-smooth hands as well. He will also crash the net to cash in on loose pucks. To augment his quick-strike offense, he diplays superb puck-skill and protection ability to handle around his opponents' sticks, or out of their reach, and the moves to turn defenders inside-out. Hagens' deception and manipulation are high-end as well, with every fake, look-off, toe-drag, and deke available to open lanes for passing, or to get around in traffic.
It's difficult to strip him of the puck, and he manages to attack the middle by pass, or by foot. Most of the above qualities mask the fact that he's not all that impressive in the speed department; he's quick and shifty, with smooth edges and agility to change pace and direction, but he has plenty of room to get faster. Though his speed isn't much of a detriment, he's no Jack Hughes.
Hagens is highly involved in transition, showing the capability to skate dynamic routes through the neutral zone by weaving in-and-out of traffic and challenging defenders. His intelligent off-puck game opens gaps for teammates, while giving him advantageous positioning, often in pockets of space in high-danger, ready to receive a pass. Defensively, his engagement and effort can come and go, but he exhibits solid positional awareness with a well-timed stick. When he's on, he's persistent and can be disruptive in intercepting passes and clogging lanes, and he will support his D down low, but he can also be caught cheating in leaving the zone early. It's difficult to evaluate his defensive presence though, as the puck in usually in the other end of the rink when he's out on the ice, but I would say his impact in his own zone is around average.
Hagens can push pace, and has good motor, but his lack of strength hurts him in puck-battles and he doesn't contribute much physically- he can sometimes take himself out of the play by dodging a hit. He will throw the odd bodycheck to win possession though, and he's willing to go to the dirty areas of the ice, but he must get stronger and faster. Building on his shot would be a good thing, too. He's going to be picked in the top-4 of the 2025 Draft.
See our 2025 NHL Prospect Profile home page for all of our profiles.