Prospect Info: 2025 Draft: We are #1….1

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Pens trying to trade up per Jeff Marek.

It's cool that not trading Raks and Gryz at the TDL is gonna cost us more assets to get to where we should have finished in the draft.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I have Hagens above Misa but I think it’s fair to put him 9. I think this class is a mess and the only thing I’m confident about is Schaefer being head and shoulders above everyone else which means he inevitably is like the 7th best player in a redraft 10 years from now.

I shouldn't leave a drive-by comment like that. I think Hagens could very well be a terrific player. One thing that I'll be really curious about is: He's likely going to go back to being the best player on his line again next year, which is what he was with the Program. In his DY, he was the third best player on his line and he sort of fell into the background a bit, relative to what we've seen. Was that a confusing time for him? Was it comforting? I don't know. But those two guys are gone now. So, he has a chance to emerge and have a dominant D+1 year.

But what popped with him this year? Everyone says "elite skater" - don't see that. Skill level didn't exactly pop. He's a thoughtful playmaker, good secondary shooter. But...we're looking at a potential #1 overall pick and that's what was put on tape? Just because the media says that it should be his draft coming in, doesn't mean that anyone has to abide haha - it's like Shane Wright, just like that year, both of these guys lost their #1 spot for me in November and never got it back.

Doesn't mean they stink. Just means there's other players...

 

[The Old Master]

It's cool that not trading Raks and Gryz at the TDL is gonna cost us more assets to get to where we should have finished in the draft.

it's the pens way.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

But what popped with him this year? Everyone says "elite skater" - don't see that. Skill level didn't exactly pop. He's a thoughtful playmaker, good secondary shooter. But...we're looking at a potential #1 overall pick and that's what was put on tape? Just because the media says that it should be his draft coming in, doesn't mean that anyone has to abide haha - it's like Shane Wright, just like that year, both of these guys lost their #1 spot for me in November and never got it back.

Doesn't mean they stink. Just means there's other players.

I agree and I have him second.

Bolded is my problem with Hagens as someone who is high on him. The explosiveness and skating and dynamism just aren’t what you want from a 5’10 C to take him 1st overall (again he’s my 2).

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

But my argument for Hagens is also my argument for Eklund (who I have 5th even though he profiles like a 45 point guy)

They do enough for me to be confident they’re gonna play. There is (perceived) surety IMO. And maybe the upside isn’t that high end but there is still upside to be a top 4-6 F on a decent team. I’m not saying this class sucks or will suck but rn there’s not a ton of guys that are easy to project so I value the Hagens/Eklunds.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Hagens would be a dream acquisition at this point. Considering where he was a year ago, where we were before the draft lottery, and considering our brutal center depth chart, it would be an absolute dream scenario if we pulled that off.

 

[Jacob]

Simon did a scouting report on Desnoyers a while back and it's pretty measured, it does make me like Desnoyers a little more though he had some pretty reasonable criticism of his game.

 

[Jacob]

Hagens seems like a little prick but he's probably got some of the highest upside of anyone in this draft including Schaefer and Misa. So if he's falling a bit because of a "meh" season and some other minor question marks, that might be a good value to move up and get, not to mention filling a team need and being a nice piece for Muse to work with eventually since he's already familiar with him.

Throw anything you can, within reason, at a top-5 pick to get Hagens and then next year we'll definitely have another top-5 pick plus the Rangers'. 2 building blocks plus where-ever the Rangers pick falls and the rebuild is off and running.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I don’t understand why Hagens seems like a “little prick”

 

[Empoleon8771]

I honestly think the sole reason Hagens is falling is because teams had massive expectations on him coming into the year and he didn't hit him, so instead of judging him based on the season he had (which was very good for a guy in his draft year), they're judging him based on what they were expecting out of him.

It makes no sense because guys like McQueen, who wasn't even all that good when he was healthy, aren't being dinged for that.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I honestly think the sole reason Hagens is falling is because teams had massive expectations on him coming into the year and he didn't hit him, so instead of judging him based on the season he had (which was very good for a guy in his draft year), they're judging him based on what they were expecting out of him.

It makes no sense because guys like McQueen, who wasn't even all that good when he was healthy, aren't being dinged for that.

Maybe but anyone who’s been able to articulate a “Hagens isnt top 3 take” hasn’t brought up expectations or not having a massive DY.

They question his skating, dynamism, perimeter play and lack of improvement over the year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Maybe but anyone who’s been able to articulate a “Hagens isnt top 3 take” hasn’t brought up expectations or not having a massive DY.

They question his skating, dynamism, perimeter play and lack of improvement over the year.

I think the main disagreement I have is more that no one else looks better than Hagens (outside of Schaefer) than me thinking Hagens is a great talent. Like the dude put up 9 points in 7 games at the U-20 WJCs, while Misa wasn't even on Canada's U-20 WJC team. I think it's absolutely ridiculous to put someone like Desnoyers over Hagens.

Eklund is in a similar spot, he was great at the U-20 WJCs as well but he seems like he'll go outside of the top-10. I think it makes a bit more sense in his case, it's a projected upside issue with him, but I still think it makes no sense. I think Eklund is a top-5 talent in the draft right now that's basically guaranteed to carve out a career as at minimum a 3rd liner, just because of how good he is already. I think both of those two guys are way more talented than guys that will be taken above them due to "projectability" and "potential".

 

[Jared Grayden]

I honestly think the sole reason Hagens is falling is because teams had massive expectations on him coming into the year and he didn't hit him, so instead of judging him based on the season he had (which was very good for a guy in his draft year), they're judging him based on what they were expecting out of him.

It makes no sense because guys like McQueen, who wasn't even all that good when he was healthy, aren't being dinged for that.

I suspect there's a lot more question marks in regards to being a NHL center. If teams view him as a winger, even if he's offensively dynamic, undersized wingers don't go that high in the draft. Which I think will negatively affect Eklund's draft position as well.

 

[Jacob]

I need to be put into a coma until 1 hour before the draft.

 

[Gurglesons]

Maybe but anyone who’s been able to articulate a “Hagens isnt top 3 take” hasn’t brought up expectations or not having a massive DY.

They question his skating, dynamism, perimeter play and lack of improvement over the year.

Anyone that is questioning Hagens skating doesn't know hockey to be honest. He's top 3 in terms of skating ability in the draft.

 

[Gurglesons]

Hagens seems like a little prick but he's probably got some of the highest upside of anyone in this draft including Schaefer and Misa. So if he's falling a bit because of a "meh" season and some other minor question marks, that might be a good value to move up and get, not to mention filling a team need and being a nice piece for Muse to work with eventually since he's already familiar with him.

Throw anything you can, within reason, at a top-5 pick to get Hagens and then next year we'll definitely have another top-5 pick plus the Rangers'. 2 building blocks plus where-ever the Rangers pick falls and the rebuild is off and running.

I'd be shocked if Hagens doesn't lead this draft class in terms of raw point production.

He may not be the best player, but this idea he isn't an NHL skill set is just maddeningly stupid.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t understand why Hagens seems like a “little prick”

I think I'm mostly being flippant. But a combo of him being from a very rich area and just the on-ice body language turns me off a little.

 

[SEALBound]

What's the point of the discussion on Hagens? He got ranked 9th in that list which I think is nuts. He's been 3/4 nearly every where else, which is reasonable. There's a group of 5-6 guys after Schaeffer and Misa that could go in any order - Martone, Hagens, Frondell, Desnoyers, Martin, JOB. I could any team taking any of them. I'm not sure there's a realistic order from 3 to 8 that we could see that would shock me. Each of them are about equal with different pros/cons. It's truly a "pick your poison". Like in 06 with Staal, Toews, Backstrom, Kessel. You're going to get a good player. They might have different games but so what?

Start of the year, he was being talked about at 1st ov. Now, we a decent but remarkable season, others moved ahead of him. I think it's fair to say it's not that he's "dropped" but rather that others have "risen".

 

[Jag68Sid87]

What's the point of the discussion on Hagens? He got ranked 9th in that list which I think is nuts. He's been 3/4 nearly every where else, which is reasonable. There's a group of 5-6 guys after Schaefer and Misa that could go in any order - Martone, Hagens, Frondell, Desnoyers, Martin, JOB. I could any team taking any of them. I'm not sure there's a realistic order from 3 to 8 that we could see that would shock me. Each of them are about equal with different pros/cons. It's truly a "pick your poison". Like in 06 with Staal, Toews, Backstrom, Kessel. You're going to get a good player. They might have different games but so what?

Start of the year, he was being talked about at 1st ov. Now, we a decent but remarkable season, others moved ahead of him. I think it's fair to say it's not that he's "dropped" but rather that others have "risen".

I think the discussion point, at least for me, is whether we can move up. Not whether he slides to 11. That would be epic.

Is there a world where we can move up from 11 to 4, as one example? Do the Mammoth have any interest in Jarry? Would a couple of 2nds and Jarry move the needle for Utah?

I have no delusions that Hagens will drop. I think he easily goes 1st overall way before he drops to 11.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I think I'm mostly being flippant. But a combo of him being from a very rich area and just the on-ice body language turns me off a little.

True but doesn’t bother me. Hyman a good example that being a rich kid doesn’t mean you can’t play/work hard.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Ok guys.

SEALbound has spoken. He says no more discussion about draft prospect Hagens in the draft thread. (And then proceeds to discuss Hagens in the same post).

Let’s stop now.

 

[Jared Grayden]

What's the point of the discussion on Hagens? He got ranked 9th in that list which I think is nuts. He's been 3/4 nearly every where else, which is reasonable. There's a group of 5-6 guys after Schaeffer and Misa that could go in any order - Martone, Hagens, Frondell, Desnoyers, Martin, JOB. I could any team taking any of them. I'm not sure there's a realistic order from 3 to 8 that we could see that would shock me. Each of them are about equal with different pros/cons. It's truly a "pick your poison". Like in 06 with Staal, Toews, Backstrom, Kessel. You're going to get a good player. They might have different games but so what?

Start of the year, he was being talked about at 1st ov. Now, we a decent but remarkable season, others moved ahead of him. I think it's fair to say it's not that he's "dropped" but rather that others have "risen".

I think there's an increasing belief that Hagens might fall more than expected and be attainable for PIT. Could require moving up a few spots to do so, but Hagens dropping even close to #11 wasn't considered a possibility at all previously.
I don't think the combine helped matters for him either. He measured shorter and heavier than expected which might lead some orgs to thinking he has limited physical development.

 

[Pancakes]

I think I'm mostly being flippant. But a combo of him being from a very rich area and just the on-ice body language turns me off a little.

Honestly hockey is so f-ing expensive that 99% of NHL players are going to come from at worst middleclass and often upper-middle class backgrounds.

 

[SEALBound]

I think there's an increasing belief that Hagens might fall more than expected and be attainable for PIT. Could require moving up a few spots to do so, but Hagens dropping even close to #11 wasn't considered a possibility at all previously.
I don't think the combine helped matters for him either. He measured shorter and heavier than expected which might lead some orgs to thinking he has limited physical development.

I don't think those are the conclusions I would be drawing from that. By that age, height is what it is. Maybe an half inch to work with. It's fairly common though for players to bulk up in weight a little bit. If he weighs in at 170 at the beginning of the season and can pack on some weight, great.

"Oh he was 5'10 and 170bs at the start and now he's only 5'10 180lbs...hmmm...not a lot of physical upside there" isn't the take away.

Honestly hockey is so f-ing expensive that 99% of NHL players are going to come from at worst middleclass and often upper-middle class backgrounds.

Which is why popularity is dwindling in Canada.

 

[Jacob]

Honestly hockey is so f-ing expensive that 99% of NHL players are going to come from at worst middleclass and often upper-middle class backgrounds.

Yeah but I think Hagens is *loaded*.