‘I don’t think he gets enough credit for being as good as he is’: Underestimate James Hagens at your peril

Steven Ellis
Steven Ellis(sellishockey)
Jun 26, 2025, 09:00 EDT
‘I don’t think he gets enough credit for being as good as he is’: Underestimate James Hagens at your peril
Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Is it possible to be SO good that expectations just become too high?

James Hagens started the year as the projected top pick for the 2025 NHL Draft. But here we are on draft week, and it’s not inconceivable to believe he won’t even be a top-five selection.

Part of that is out of his control – some other top prospects just had better seasons. It happens. But now, it almost feels like he’s underrated.

A year ago, Hagens had one of the best seasons in USA Hockey National Team Development Program history with 102 points, and he did so without elite-level linemates like some of the other top producers in the team’s history. Add in record-setting offensive totals at the 2022 U-17 World Challenge and 2024 U-18 World Championship and expectations were massive.

“He’s a pretty special player, in terms of his vision and his IQ,” said Dan Muse, Hagens’ former coach at the USNTDP and now the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ bench boss. “His skating ability is high-end. Not for his age group, but for any player.”

The Boston College star is coming off a freshman season where he registered 37 points in 37 games. A good output, for sure, but nowhere near the 64 that Macklin Celebrini had at Boston University before going first overall in 2024. Many expected more from Hagens. He had two of the best linemates in all of college hockey in Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault, both of whom have since made their NHL debuts.

Despite not having an explosive college season, many think Hagens is still one of the top prospects available. Ranked No. 4 on Daily Faceoff’s final draft board, the Long Island, N.Y., native brings back draft memories of watching guys like Jack Hughes and Logan Cooley. Both centers are on the smaller side, like Hagens, and they have to use their superior hockey IQ and skating to win battles. The only thing really missing from Hagens’ toolkit is his muscle, and everything else should allow him to be a truly dynamic center in the NHL.

“His skating and playmaking are just in [their] own world,” a scout said. “It’s effortless. He’s so slick as a skater. He makes it look so easy. He’s great in small areas; he’s just built like an athlete.”

Once known as more of a playdriver, Hagens took more of a back seat to his BC teammates. That was especially true at the World Juniors, where he just didn’t look up to speed despite having spent the whole season playing alongside them. You could see glimmers of what he’s capable of when he’s the one controlling the pace this year. If he can do that more consistently, especially next year without Leonard or Perreault, Hagens could establish himself as the steal of the draft.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for being as good as he is for as young as he is,” Muse said at the 2023 U-18s. “He’s a guy who’s responsible at both sides of the ice. He can go out there, and he’s a guy I can trust in any situation.”

At the 2025 NHL Draft Combine, Hagens measured in at 5-foot-10.5 and 186 pounds. He’s not huge by any means, but he’s definitely bulkier than he was a year ago. His ability to rip more powerful one-timers was evident throughout the college campaign, but he just didn’t shoot as much as many would have loved to see. As it stands, he lacks the physical strength of someone like Anton Frondell or Porter Martone, which will likely impact Hagens’ draft ranking.

But will his other traits change his trajectory? Scouts love him for the way he skates and distributes the puck, allowing him to absolutely dominate shifts at points. Hagens has built a reputation for being so deceptive, making it difficult for defenders to figure out his next move. He’s always looking up, and his teammates just know to get themselves into a scoring position whenever they can.

“You see him out on the ice. He’s something special,” said fellow draft prospect and former USNTDP teammate Logan Hensler. “The way he slows the game down when he has the puck, it’s cool to watch. When you’re on the ice, you know he’s going to get you the puck.”

“You’ve seen the videos, his head’s always up,” said former USNTDP teammate and Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine. “He’s always looking for the next play. He sees everything out there.”

Will Hagens reach star status in the NHL? A good bet says absolutely. He’ll have a chance to be a leader at BC next year, perhaps re-uniting with his USNTDP linemate in Nashville Predators prospect Teddy Stiga. If Hagens can become the playdriver many know he’s capable of, he might become the biggest steal in the 2025 NHL Draft. There’s some work to be done, but many evaluators believe the team that selects Hagens is going to be absolutely thrilled.

Read this article’s headline one more time. And believe it.

Tune in for The Sheet Draft Special, streaming live on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel on Friday, June 27th at 7 PM EST. Hosted by Jeff Marek, this live special will cover all the action from the 2025 Draft, including expert analysis of top prospects, team-by-team breakdowns, and real-time reactions to every pick. Whether you’re tracking your team’s future stars or just love the drama of draft night, this is your go-to destination for all things Draft.

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