Kohen Willis Dengler | Dengler Media

Kyle

Pereira

May 11, 2025

Analyzing the case for James Hagens as the next American-born star

James Hagens had a strong true freshman season with Boston College in the NCAA.

Hagens produced an impressive 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games, and was a catalyst for all season long, and also added nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games for Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

That performance this season landed Hagens as the no. 3 prospect in FCHockey’s Final ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft.

The hype behind Hagens, however, comes from prior seasons. The 5-foot, 11-inch and 176-pound center from Hauppauge, NY, was a star with the US National Team Development Program last season, recording a dominant 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) across 58 total games — including 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 26 contests in the United States Hockey League.

Just how good has Hagens been? How impactful can he be going forward?

Hagens’ skating

Hagens is a very high-end skater. When he’s going full speed, his skating can be influential to the game. His speed, especially off-the-rush, gives him the ability to burn fairly often. Hagens edge work also stands out in a big way, as he can be slippery with the puck. That agility allows him to create space and time for himself to find his teammates for a pass or fire a puck to the net.

However, despite being an excellent skater, he’s more meticulous in his movements. He does not waste energy, only turning on the jets in situations where he needs it. There will be situations where he moves a little slow, but it isn’t a negative. It’s a part of his game that makes him dangerous.

Offensive zone impacts

When it comes to his offensive game, there’s no doubt Hagens is an elite playmaker. The way he sees the ice is truly top of his class. His hockey IQ and vision are exceptional, and he is often several steps ahead of the opposition. He knows exactly where to go with the puck before he gets it. Hagens understands how to attack high-danger areas as a passer and, more importantly, knows how to time those passes for optimal opportunities.

As a shooter, Hagens is less dominant. He is a true playmaker, frequently opting to pass rather than shoot. Most of the shots he takes come off the rush as the leading forward entering the zone. Outside of that, he does not generate many chances as a shooter. His shot itself is powerful, but his shot selection needs refinement. He needs to be a more aggressive shooter moving forward.

Away from the puck, he is intelligent and displays a strong understanding of positioning. However, Hagens does have a tendency to play more of a perimeter game, often settling into support roles instead of attacking open pockets of space. Given his vision and awareness as a passer, it’s reasonable to believe he can develop that aspect of his game.

Smart puck-moving playmaker

Hagens proved time and again how dangerous his playmaking is in three randomly-tracked games. In total, he attempted 40 passes in the offensive zone at even-strength. Of those, he completed 29 of them (a 72.5% completion rate). Of his 40 attempts, 15 of them were deemed dangerous (defined as cross-ice, centering passes), of which he completed seven of them (a 46.67% on high-danger passes).

Hagens recorded nine shot assists (the primary pass before a shot on goal), which resulted in seven scoring chances. His ability to generate shot assists on 31.03% of his passes and scoring chances on 24.14% of them is a testament to just how good his playmaking is.

On the power play specifically, in those same three games, Hagens attempted 14 passes and completed 12 of them (a 85.71% rate). Of those, three were considered dangerous. He generated two shot assists, with one of them leading to a scoring chance.

A telltale sign of a pass-first style

Hagens does not shoot the puck a whole lot. His shot selection tends to be the main issue, as he passes off good scoring opportunities to hand it to a teammate instead. That’s even more clear when the numbers are shown across those three tracked games. He fired off six shots at even-strength. Of those, only two hit the net. Additionally, three of them were blocked, while all six attempts came from the perimeter or point area.

On the man advantage, he fired off three shot attempts, with one of them hitting the net. Two of his shots were dangerous by type (tip, one-timer) but, once again, all of his shots came from the perimeter or the point area.

Hagens’ offensive game summarized

Overall, Hagens is an elite playmaker in the offensive zone. He consistently generates scoring opportunities for his linemates and elevates the play around him. He controls the pace of play exceptionally well when the puck is on his stick and is capable of creating offense on his own. His stickhandling, skating, and high hockey IQ make him a constant threat to attack.

However, he can be one-dimensional at times. Hagens often passes up quality shooting chances in favor of distributing the puck. When he does shoot, it’s typically from lower-danger areas of the ice, which poses less of a threat to opposing goaltenders. Additionally, he lacks consistent aggression off the puck, particularly when it comes to getting into prime scoring areas.

At the NHL level, there is little doubt that his playmaking will remain a legitimate asset. His vision and creativity are NHL-caliber and should translate well. That said, his reluctance to shoot diminishes his overall efficiency and could hinder his ability to consistently drive offense as a primary facilitator. Moreover, he turned the puck over eight times at even strength during those games, including five intercepted passes. This tendency to overcomplicate plays needs to be addressed. Simplifying his decisions and diversifying his attack with a more assertive shooting mindset will be critical to unlocking his full potential at the next level.

Hagens in transition

Transitioning the puck up ice is a major focal point of Hagens’ game and a key aspect of his impact on his teams. He is consistently involved in neutral zone play, actively pushing the puck forward and initiating offensive sequences. His skating, puck skills, and vision are standout traits that allow him to create space and generate controlled zone entries. Hagens has the potential to be a game-changer with the way he attacks through the neutral zone, often dictating tempo and stretching defenses with his speed and awareness.

However, despite his strengths, there are notable concerns in this area. At times, Hagens attempts to do too much when carrying the puck, overextending plays and trying to beat multiple defenders, which leads to turnovers and failed entries. This overconfidence in transition can stall offensive momentum and put his team on the back foot.

Additionally, Hagens has developed some problematic habits when facing physical pressure. Rather than absorbing contact or protecting the puck, he tends to bail out of plays, often relinquishing possession to avoid hits. This approach may be effective at lower levels, but it will not translate well to the NHL, where physical engagement is non-negotiable. Opponents at the pro level will exploit this tendency, making it imperative for him to develop more resilience and composure under pressure.

Hagens entering the offensive zone

When it comes to entering the offensive zone, in those three games, Hagens was directly involved in 52 of his teams entries at even-strength. In his total minutes, his line combined for 124 entry attempts, meaning he was involved on just shy of 42% of them. Of the 13 other 2025 draft eligible forwards who were tracked with their lines having over 30 total entry attempts in their respective minutes, no one was more involved than Hagens.

Of his 52 attempts, 22 were controlled entries (a 42.31% controlled entry rate). He also dumped the puck an additional 14 times, with two of them being retrieved by his team. That adds up to 24 total entries from Hagens that led to an offensive zone possession (a 46.15% possession rate). He also failed to enter the zone altogether on 16 attempts, a 30.77% failure rate, showing the occasional hiccups in his game.

Exiting the defensive zone

When it comes to exiting the defensive zone, Hagens was directly involved on 30 of his team’s 93 total exit attempts (32.26% involvement rate). That’s over a 10% drop in involvement from his entry involvement rate. Of his 30 attempts, he successfully exited the zone with control on 19 of them (63.33% controlled exit rate).

Hagens chipped the puck out of the zone, without control, on seven more attempts. Overall, he was able to get the puck out of the zone, with or without control, on 26 of his 30 attempts. He failed to clear the zone entirely on those remaining four attempts, a rate of just 13.33%. While his involvement does go down, he plays a lot smarter in his own end. He moves the puck quickly out of the zone when in possession and does not cough it up often.

Defensive zone impact

As for how he impacts the defensive side of the game, Hagens displays some solid traits. For one, his skating gives him an advantage. Paired with a strong motor, he is able to forecheck and backcheck generally well. In fact, he forced one takeaway while forechecking, while breaking up seven oppositional entry attempts to help his defenders out.

In the zone, he can be inconsistent. When he’s playing within his position and being engaged, he can be a very positive influence. His smarts from the offensive end translates well to the defensive end, as he can anticipate passes quite well to force turnovers and take away strong scoring opportunities.

However, he can be pretty unorganized at times as well. There are times where he can float around the defensive zone quite a bit, drifting out of position. Overall though, he had 34 defensive zone touches at even-strength, only turning the puck over three times. Meanwhile, he forced eight takeaways, including picking off four passes himself.

Projection: Where will he go and what role will he play?

Hagens is expected to go somewhere between third and fifth overall.

Entering the season, he was the guy to go first overall. However, he did not meet the exorbitant expectations thrown his way at the NCAA level, opening the door for Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa to jump him in the rankings. General managers in the NHL may also look to take someone else over him as well, like Caleb Desnoyers, Porter Martone, Victor Eklund, or Anton Frondell.

Despite slipping, Hagens still had a very good NCAA season. While he didn’t hit the expectations in place, it is also fair to say that the turn towards dropping him is a bit too much. It feels as though people are forgetting just how good Hagens truly is. His skill is outstanding, and his IQ is arguably top of the class. He’s a dynamic playmaker and transitional presence.

That being said, he has clear potential as a No. 1 center. His struggles initially translating to the NCAA does give some pause in the sense of just how high his ceiling is. But he still clearly holds that first line center upside. The biggest worry should be the lack of physicality and, again, the slow NCAA transition. It feels as though he could have trouble translating to the NHL if he were to go as soon as next season. It would be best to give him another NCAA season before giving him a shot at the NHL, just so he can fine-tune his game and build up his frame a bit more in the weight room.

What others are saying

“Hagens is a player who consistently tilts the ice in his team’s favor through smarts, effort, and execution. With continued refinement, his two-way impact could make him a standout at the next level. He’s a no-doubt top-five pick in the 2025 draft for my liking and, while he doesn’t have a full-on dominating offensive skill set, his entire package could still land him as the top forward off the board.” – FCHockey crossover scout Aaron Vickers

“Hagens is a speedy, playmaking centerman who is an extremely dominant presence on the ice. The combination of his elusive skating and vision makes for a fantastic show, and he makes playmaking look incredibly easy. He also has a strong shot, but his primary strength is playmaking, and he excels at it. He is consistently several steps ahead of everyone else, which is a joy to watch.” – FCHockey chief scout Samuel Tirpak

Hagens’ games tracked

October 11 at Michigan State University
January 18, 2005 versus Providence College
March 30, 2025 vs. Denver University

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