Hagens signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins in April 2026. His deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $975K and runs through the 2028-29 season.

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The Bruins have emerged with one of the best U23 cores in the NHL, led by Fraser Minten, James Hagens, and Matthew Poitras.

Post Draft Prospect Review: James Hagens (BOS | 7th OVR 2025)

Despite some mixed criticism, James Hagens was added to the Prospect Showcase roster, as it was seen as pointless by some and an opportunity to make a statement by others; he would indeed make a statement.

He dominated with 6 Goals in just two games, with 4 of them coming in one game.

The projected lineup for the Boston Bruins has James Hagens on the 3rd line, with recently extended Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.

The “cub line” has skated and practiced together throughout training camp and preseason, and has impressed so far.

Bruins coach Marco Sturm said, “When he came last year, I felt like he was just a little kid.

He’s still a kid, he looks like it in the face, but on the ice, it just feels a little bit different.” I expect him to start on the 3rd line and, near the halfway point, potentially sooner, move up to the top 6, I believe he is already there, but Boston is notorious for their patient, careful deployment with prospects in their system.

Just a few years ago, James Hagens was considered by many, to be the clear 1st Overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, even with the buzzword “generational” thrown around loosely.

At 15 Years old, Hagens made his USHL debut and ended that season with 17G and 40P in 31GP, that is what initially sparked such high expectations.

The next season, he would officially separate himself from everyone else, putting up a remarkable 39G and 102P for the US National U18 Team, and did not only perform their, but also scored 18G and 47P in the USHL.

Going into his first NCAA season with the Boston College Eagles, playing on the 1st line with Washington Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard, along with Gabe Perreault, the New York Rangers 23rd overall pick, the expectation was massive.

As the season began and went on, his PPG pace was considered disappointing; as good as that is, he was not meeting those 1st overall expectations, which caused him to begin slipping down the rankings.

He finished his draft-eligible season with 11G and 37P in 37GP.

Even with a verystrong showing at the World Juniors, it wasn’t enough, as he fell to the Boston Bruins at 7th overall.

Although he did slip and have critiques about being a top-3 pick, falling to 7th was surprising to see, and Bruins fans were ecstatic about the selection.

Last season, he returned to the NCAA for his second year with Boston College.

With the loss of many huge pieces of the team, Hagens was the new leader and the guy they turned to for a big portion of their offence.

Despite the team’s struggles, James Hagens dominated.

While maintaining his elite vision and playmaking ability, he added a new dangerous element to his game: his shot, scoring 23 Goals in 37 games, along with 24 assists and 47 total points.

I am extremely high on James Hagens; the amount of pure skill and natural talent is incredible.

The Blackhawks have two of the top Calder favorites in 2027

The 2027 Calder race will be one to keep a close eye on, with high-end rookies like Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Cole Hutson, Porter Martone, and James Hagens competing for rookie of the year, all of whom are all expected to play large roles on their respective teams.

One of, if not the biggest steals of the draft, Hagens fell right into the laps of Don Sweeney & Co. after six teams passed on him, and this could very well alter the near future for the organization for the better. With potential to hear his name uttered with Bruins legends like Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, Hagens provides the Bruins with a blue chip centre piece down the middle they have lacked since the departure of those aforementioned lifetime Bruins. The organization looked set for a long rebuilding period when those two left the organization, but the selection of Hagens adds a core piece that you normally only have the opportunity to take in the top-five picks

Selected seventh overall, James Hagens is now a member of the Boston Bruins.

While he had a strong collegiate season at Boston College, Hagens didn’t produce at the level most scouts expected. He didn’t put the puck in the net as often as anticipated—partly due to his shot not being as effective as many believed and partly because of difficulties getting to the tougher areas of the ice where most goals are scored. Although he had a solid season overall, the calculus for Hagens’ projection has shifted slightly, which is reflected in his drop in the rankings compared to our initial list, where he was the top-rated player. Still, he has the potential to be a point-per-game playmaker in the NHL, but whether he plays at center or on the wing remains to be seen.

After finishing the World Juniors with nine points in seven games—including two goals in the semi-finals and the game-opener against Finland in the final—Hagens enters 2025 boasting a strong draft eligible season. Hagens has used his speed, quickness, creativity, and heady playmaking to provide and excellent complement to NYR prospect Gabe Perreault at Boston College. While he initially struggled to find the back of the net, Hagens has started to break out of his shooting slump, bringing back another element of his game. Despite reservations from critics early on, James Hagens still looks like a potential NHL first-line centre and a strong candidate to go first-overall.

DRAFTPRO – 2025 NHL DRAFT FINAL RANKINGS

Not very often does a prospect overtake an DY-1 favorite without making much of a case on the ice, but that is exactly what Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Scheafer did this year when he overtook center James Hagens as the favorite to go #1 despite being injured for all but 17 games. The thing that makes this draft really interesting is that Hagens happens to be the home town boy for the team that won the lottery and the privilege of drafting #1 overall, the New York Islanders.

Next-Level Defense: How Matthew Schaefer Is Rewriting the Role of a Blueliner

Matthew Schaefer is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting prospects heading into the 2025 NHL Draft. At 6’2″ and 175 pounds, he combines elite skating, high-end hockey IQ, and a complete two-way game that sets him apart from virtually every defenseman in his class. Ten out of ten scouts have him pegged as the projected No. 1 overall pick, and seven of those scouts believe the gap between Schaefer and the next tier—names like James Hagens, Michael Misa, and Porter Martone—is substantial.

DRAFTPRO – 2025 NHL DRAFT WINTER RANKINGS

The preliminary ranking was released in our 2024 NHL Draft Guide back in April. Back then we had James Hagens, Porter Martone, Michael Misa, Anton Frondell, and Roger McQueen all ranked #1-#5, today only three of those names remain in the top five. Hagens sits second overall after be usurped by Eris Otters smooth-skating two-way defender Matthew Schaefer who is now our top ranked prospect. Martone drops down to fourth overall while Misa remains third overall. Frondell tumbles from fourth all the way down to eighteenth.

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The early favorite for #1 overall going back to August 2023 was dynamic American center James Hagens who is putting up solid production in his true freshman season with Boston College, but early consensus this year is that there are plenty of talent that has caught up to the skilled playmaker making it a true race.

DRAFTPRO – 2024 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW – CANADA

Heading into the tournament Gavin McKenna was a highly touted household name in the Western Hockey League (WHL) but by tournament’s end Gavin McKenna made his presence known on the International stage leaving scouts enthralled, eagerly having to wait in anticipation to draft Gavin McKenna. McKenna was Canada’s best player at the tournament and performed at his best when the moments mattered most. McKenna finished with 10 goals, 10 assists for 20 points in 7 games at the tournament, just two points behind American standout, James Hagens, for the tournament lead. The remarkable accomplishments McKenna achieved at this years U18 tournament become even more impressive by the fact that McKenna dominated a tournament meant for draft-eligible 17 year olds, McKenna aged 16 is considered a “double under-ager”, meaning he is not draft eligible until the 2026 NHL Draft, as he has a late 2007 December Birthday. He is a dynamic skater with a natural smooth straight-line stride. He excels playing at top speed with excellent control of the puck. His great edgework ability allows him to dodge opponents and move laterally without losing control. Gavin thinks the game at an elite level, he anticipates plays before they happen at an advanced level. As Canada progressed through the knockout stages, Gavin grew to become more of a leader on the ice for Canada, driving the play offensively, leading zone entries and became the player his defenceman would pass the puck to, to calm the storm in the defensive end and exit the zone in transition. McKenna saved his best performance for the gold medal game against the highly-skilled, favoured American side. Being heavily outshot and dominated in the possession game through the first half of the game. McKenna gave Canada life capitalizing on power play advantages with timely goals and stamped his performance with the empty net insurance goal for Canada to complete the hat-trick and secure the gold medal for Canada. McKenna’s skillset, skating and hockey IQ are at elite levels. If hockey fans were unaware of who Gavin McKenna was before the tournament, the Yukon native from Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation (Whitehorse) certainly is a player everyone needs to watch now.

#24 F Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL), 6’0” 185 L. 04-08-2006

Slotted on the forward line alongside Jett Luchanko and Ryder Ritchie. Iginla was strong on the puck, resilient and found ways to get his stick on pucks. When sizing up against his opponent to protect the puck, he was effective at opening up his skating gait by widening his stance, to distribute the strength in his lower body making it more difficult for opponents to knock him off the puck, by opening up his gait it provided that needed additional time and space for Iginla to find his teammates and make a play. This may sound familiar but Tij is an Iginla who likes to score goals. Iginla finished third in total points on the team with 12 points, 6 goals and 6 assists, in 7 games. Iginla averaged just below 4 shots per game in the tournament, about one shot less than his shots per game in the WHL this past season. Iginla elevated his game during the knockout stages of the tournament, recording 7 of his 12 points in the final 3 games, including the eventual game winning goal in the gold medal game against the United States. The gold medal winning tradition continues to run in the Iginla family, like his father Jarome, Tij carries a gold medal for Team Canada.

#30 G Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL), 6’1” 185 L. 20-05-2006

The crease for Canada’s number one goalie belonged to Carter George. The Canadian goalkeeper was insurmountable in his performance backstopping Canada to the gold medal. George finished the tournament with a .914 save percentage and 2.33 Goals-Against Average in the tournament. George was named a Tournament All-Star and awarded as the Best Goalie of the tournament. His reaction time was superb in the gold medal game against the United States. The Americans were a team that likes to move the puck quickly, maintain possession through cycles and timely passes and use the threat of deception through shot fakes and outlook passes to get goalies to react and move out of position. George managed to weather the storm for Canada, making key saves and remaining composed when being bombarded with shots by the Americans. Down by two goals and being outshot by close to 20 shots in the second period, George quite literally saved the game for Canada by making an acrobatic stick save on the goal-line to deny USA forward James Hagens from putting a stranglehold on the game by pushing the game to 4-1. George stayed square to shooters by getting to the top of his crease to make saves. There were moments when George was scrambly in his crease after having to recover from multiple shot attempts in close but he kept his composure and did not lose sight of the puck. George’s performance was remarkable throughout the entirety of the tournament. George played like how a NHL playoff goalie is expected to perform, play well enough to make timely saves, keep your team in the hockey game and possibly steal a victory for your team when it matters most and George certainly lived up to that.

DRAFTPRO – 2024 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW – USA

#10 James Hagens, C, USNTDP, U18, 5’10”, 158, L, DOB 11.3.2006 Hagens is an electric player who did everything but disappoint with his demonstration of skill in the U18 tournament. He took over every game at some point or another. He was the tournament MVP leading the tournament in points. Hagens drove team USA through the round robin portion with his incredible hockey IQ and ability to distribute the puck to his teammates. He scored over a goal a game and averaged over three points a game. He had a remarkable tournament and the only smudge on his tournament was Canada’s ability to keep him off the scoresheet in the final game. His shot has a deceptive release and has a lot behind it.

DRAFTPRO – 2024 ALL AMERICAN PROSPECTS GAME REVIEW

#10 F James Hagens, USA White (USNTDP), 5’10” 168, L. 03-11-2006

As the potential number-one pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Hagens had a terrific game displaying why he is the best player for his age group. Awarded Player of the Game with a multi-point effort, Hagens was the best player on the ice for every shift. He drove the play offensively for team White and scored a nice goal on a two-on-one short side. Hagens has a wide skating base making him more difficult to knock off the puck. His wide skating base allows him to match the pace of play very nicely. On the goal he scored off the rush, he had to beat his man to the net by accelerating hard and quickly slow his speed down to match the speed of his teammate in order to become a scoring option. Hagens overall skill, skating ability, and hockey IQ is next level. Be prepared to hear his name a lot in the future because he will be a top talent in the NHL very soon.

#23 D Cole Hutson, USA Blue (USNTDP), 5’10” 158, L. 28-06-2006

Much like his older brother Lane Hutson, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, Cole Hutson is a smooth-skating defenseman with strong foot speed. In the offensive zone, Cole can create passing lanes for his teammates through his great ability to walk the blue line with the puck as well as use a variety of head fakes to deceive his opponents to find an open passing or shooting lane. He was one of the highly notable top prospects to not record a point in the game. For a player standing under six feet, Hutson defends zone entries extremely well through his play with his stick as well as how he positions his body to separate his man from the puck. The question remains as to whether Hutson could grow into becoming a #1 type of defenseman in the NHL or will he develop into a top 4 type of defenseman.

#16 D Logan Hensler, USA White (USNTDP), 6’2” 197, R. 14-10-2006

Hensler is another name to familiarize yourself with because the hockey world will get used to hearing his name a lot next season, alongside teammate James Hagens, as a top prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft. Hensler is an outstanding skater through his ability to use his edgework to spin off opponents escaping pressure. Hensler displayed his ability to escape pressure by using his feet as well as his passing ability. Hensler did not record a point in the game however, his skating and IQ showed he has the tools to be a #1 type of defenceman at the NHL level. He can quarterback a powerplay through his strong lateral crossover ability and poise with the puck, he does not settle, he waits for shot lanes to open up before releasing a shot. Hensler is committed to the University of Wisconsin next season. The Badgers are receiving arguably the top defenseman in the 2025 NHL Draft.

DRAFTPRO – 2023 FALL INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT REVIEW

#10, F, James Hagens, Sweden (Orebro HK U20, U18 Sweden), 5’10”, 170, L, DOB 11.03.2006 James Hagens is the definition of the future for the Americans. Every time he is on the ice, he is a wizard with the biscuit. James is an agile, conscious playmaker who has the underrated ability of shooting the puck. His quick snapshot is what catches the goaltender off guard when it comes to shooting. The way he handles the puck, not only his hands are quick, but it does not come off his stick very often until he decides to pass it. When he is in playmaking mode, he looks like he enters the flow state which is his highest peak as he has the awareness of a falcon as he truly understands where his opponents are going to be. Where he showcases his skating is not through the quick agile turns, but it is the way he creates his speed while on the rush as he shows him always keeping his feet moving is what highlights his skating aspect. He will need to improve on his lateral movement if he wants to get quicker at the inside edgework. When it comes to his defensive game, there are some weaknesses of him not willing to sacrifice the body all of the time and not giving always defensive support as normally a center would. What he needs to work on is his physicality level, but there is a lot of time for that to happen. He needs to get stronger at fending checks but most importantly, having the desire to throw effective checks. When some of these inconsistencies are fixed, he will absolutely be competing for a top 5 pick who may resemble to a Jack Eichel of the future. – Tyler Ballesteros-Willard

Hagens checks off all the boxes for the organization:

Hagens posted 37 points in 37 appearances for Boston College last season, just a year removed from vaulting into third all-time in USNTDP scoring. Hagens processes the game at a high speed. His ability to transition with game-breaking speed bodes well considering he could line up with players like David Pastrnak in the near future. All of this is to mention his incredible puck control, great footwork and vision bode well for his future. The organization he landed with is just gravy, despite being a Long Island kid.

Final Ranking – James Hagens’ season at Boston College left many scouts underwhelmed, and for understandable reasons. Scoring at a point-per-game rate as a college freshman is impressive, but not extraordinary. For a player entering his draft season viewed almost unanimously as the consensus first overall pick, his game left a lot to be desired, especially when compared to the dominant draft-year performances of Adam Fantilli and Macklin Celebrini.

However, the foundation of the player remains intact and shouldn’t be overlooked. His skill level is undeniable even to the skeptics, and when combined with his speed and shiftiness, it forms a toolkit that can translate to the next level.

Hagens is a player—like many in this draft class—who drew differing opinions from our scouts. Some on our team are concerned about his play-driving ability, and that’s a fair critique: he struggled in that area, particularly against tight-checking teams. Still, he remains our third-ranked player. The combination of skill and speed—and the potential for added layers with increased strength—makes him impossible to overlook. Whether he becomes a play-driving top-line center or a playmaking second-line winger remains to be seen.—