James Hagens Prospect Write Up
- dbuckley757
- Mar 26
- 3 min read
James Hagens: A Playmaking Prodigy with a Nico Hischier Twist
James Hagens, an 18-year-old center lighting up the NCAA at Boston College, is a prime contender for the top spot in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Born August 31, 2006, in Hauppauge, New York, this 5'10", 171-pound forward dazzles with elite skating, pinpoint playmaking, and offensive flair. Hagens trades physicality for elite skating, marking him as a standout prospect with superstar potential. A growing contingent is mounting for Michael Misa or Matthew Schaefer to go number one overall, but a strong finish might solidify Hagens as the number one overall pick.
Statistical Output
Hagens’ stats scream dominance. In his final USHL season with the U.S. National U18 Team (2023-24), he notched 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points in 58 games, averaging 1.76 points per game, a pace that echoes Kyle Connor’s 1.67 points per game (80 points in 48 games) at age 18 with Youngstown in 2014-15, though Hagens leans more on assists. His draft-minus-two year (2022-23) was equally impressive: 26 goals and 40 assists in 43 games with the U.S. National U17 Team (1.53 points per game), plus 7 goals and 12 assists in 17 games with the U18 squad. Across two USHL seasons, he tallied 83 goals and 104 assists for 187 points in 121 games, ranking fifth all-time in NTDP history.
Now a freshman in Hockey East at Boston College (2024-25), Hagens has posted 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) in 16 games as of mid-March, averaging 1.25 points per game against older competition. Internationally, he’s a record-setter: 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in seven games at the 2022 U-17 World Hockey Challenge (gold), a tournament-best 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists) in seven games at the 2024 World U18s (silver, MVP), and 4 points in his U20 debut at the 2025 World Juniors, including a clutch assist in Team USA’s gold-medal win.
Playing Style
Hagens is a playmaking wizard. His skating, fluid, fast, agile, lets him dictate pace and dodge defenders effortlessly. With elite puck-handling, he chains moves at speed, while his vision crafts passes that slice through defenses. His scoring is rising too, with four goals in his last four NCAA games (when they are starting to count), showing a growing finish. Defensively, he’s reliable, using speed and smarts to break up plays and aid the penalty kill. Versatile on special teams and leading lines, he lacks the physical punch of bigger centers, leaning on elusiveness over force. He rarely cheats exiting the zone for fast breaks, and still ends up getting free for breakaways either by jumping pass lanes, or putting the after burners on.
Comparable: Nico Hischier
Hagens invites comparison to Nico Hischier, the Devils’ 6'1", 175-pound cornerstone picked first overall in 2017. Both are slick-skating centers with high hockey IQs and two-way chops, but their styles diverge. Hischier uses size for a Selke-caliber defensive game and steady offense (e.g., 31 goals, 80 points in 2022-23), while Hagens, less imposing at 5'10", relies on speed and finesse, hinting at a higher offensive ceiling. Where Hischier anchors with physicality, Hagens dazzles with explosive creativity.
James Hagens (Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images)
James Hagens blends speed, vision, and offensive flair into a rare package, poised to redefine the center role in the NHL. Less physical than Hischier but more dynamic offensively, his USHL tear, rivaling Connor’s at 18, pairs with NCAA success and World Juniors heroics to signal a game-changer. A finesse-driven leader with flashes of two-way grit, Hagens is a cornerstone prospect, ready to shine for the team that drafts him.
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