Coming into the 2024-25 NHL season, James Hagens was the consensus number one hockey prospect in the world. It felt like a lock that he’d be the number one pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
He went on to Boston College in 2024-25, where he took Will Smith’s spot on the top line between Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard and fit right in. He was a point-per-game player (11 goals and 26 assists for 37 points in 37 games). However, he didn’t meet the expectations that some had of him, and that tanked his number one overall pick status.
Hagens is also a smaller forward at 5’11” and 185 lbs., which will always make teams skeptical. He compares himself to a guy like Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, who is one of the best centers in the NHL despite his size.
The Blackhawks would be wise to consider Hagens with the third overall pick, assuming that both the New York Islanders and San Jose Sharks pass on him. Although he didn’t dominate college the way Macklin Celebrini did a year prior, he still had an incredibly noteworthy freshman year.
Hagens also showed up strong in big moments, including the Gold Medal-winning run he had with Team USA at the World Junior Championships. Hagens had five goals and four assists for nine points in the tournament in seven games.
In recent years, we’ve seen NCAA players hit the ground running in pro hockey quicker than major junior players at times. Whether it’s as a center or on the wing, he’d fit right in with the Hawks' youth quicker than most.
It isn't one particular skill that makes Hagens great. He is a perfectly good passer as well as a shooter. If he played hockey in the OHL as Michael Misa did, he might have similar (if not better) numbers. Hagens' offensive awareness is elite for being so young. He will produce points in the NHL.
One of the teams drafting in the top six is going to draft James Hagens. They are going to be ecstatic with that selection over time. If it is Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks, another gifted talent would be joining the mix to go with the likes of Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar.
