F James Hagens - Boston College, NCAA (2025 Draft) Part 2

[Kingpin794]

Waste of words. Your point is totally illogical.

You’re trying to push this idea that Hagens has peaked at age 18, while your OHL faves are ascending.

In reality, literally none of them have performed comparatively to Hagens when they’ve went head to head. In fact, it has been drastic in Hagens favor.

If I took out the f'ing years and changed them to 1971/72 and 1972/73 would you be an honest interlocutor then? Are you really that damn dense that you won't engage with the actual points I was making? Are you just a poe?

 

[Mathieukferland]

Misa didn’t make Team Canada because he was pretty awful last year

Not to derail the thread but if he can’t make Canada whilst leading the country in goals and points, that says more about the galaxybrain WJC sélection committee than it does any type of judgement of him as a player; it would be akin to the four nations team leaving off MacKinnon.

I don’t believe any serious scouting staff would care too much about him not making the WJC team, and his historic production this year in Saginaw and fairly projectable skillset and size is why I could see some teams having him as the best forward. I’m starting to lean that way anyways.


As for Hagens, my opinion hasn’t really changed regarding him, so I have nothing further to add; I think if everything goes right he’s a 70 point selke candidate in the NHL

 

[TheGreenTBer]

If I took out the f'ing years and changed them to 1971/72 and 1972/73 would you be an honest interlocutor then? Are you really that damn dense that you won't engage with the actual points I was making? Are you just a poe?

YOU DON'T HAVE HAGENS AS A CLEAR #1 HOW DARE YOU

 

[wickedwitch]

A couple more observations about Hagens and his production this year. (For team figures, I am listing team ranks instead of actual stats to simplify)

Boston College is among the best in NCAA in overall scoring (8th). But their power play has been the pits (52nd). It is from both lack of opportunities (57th) and poor success rate (52nd).

Playing at even strength, they have done well (4th in even GF%, 10th in SF%, 12th in CF%). Especially defensively, they have kept things fairly tight (6th in shot attempts against per 60). Their team shooting percentage at even-strength has been good (12th), but on power play has been brutal (55th).

Through 27 games, James Hagens has 29 points, only 5 of them coming on the power play. He has 1 power play goal. But at even strength, he is putting up similar numbers as Celebrini and Smith last year.


Power Play (through 27 games)
Hagens (2025)......1g, 4a, 5pts
Celebrini (2024)....8g, 8a, 16pts
Smith (2024).........4g, 15a, 19pts

Even Strength (through 27 games)
Hagens (2025)......6g, 18a, 24pts
Celebrini (2024)...15g, 11a, 26pts
Smith (2024)........12g, 10a, 22pts

Boston College is youngest team in NCAA and is playing great team defense, but their power play stinks. Hard to blame one guy. Perreault (5 pts) and Leonard (6 pts) aren't faring much better.

If this is the reason an injured player has passed Hagens in draft rankings, it is a little bizzarre (and doubtful scouts are dinging him as much). And if so, I wonder if same people have moved Leonard and Perreault down their prospect lists too?

Their PP woes are making me side-eye Greg Brown (with regards to game strategy not player development). Because how can it be this bad with the talent they have?

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

A couple more observations about Hagens and his production this year. (For team figures, I am listing team ranks instead of actual stats to simplify)

Boston College is among the best in NCAA in overall scoring (8th). But their power play has been the pits (52nd). It is from both lack of opportunities (57th) and poor success rate (52nd).

Playing at even strength, they have done well (4th in even GF%, 10th in SF%, 12th in CF%). Especially defensively, they have kept things fairly tight (6th in shot attempts against per 60). Their team shooting percentage at even-strength has been good (12th), but on power play has been brutal (55th).

Through 27 games, James Hagens has 29 points, only 5 of them coming on the power play. He has 1 power play goal. But at even strength, he is putting up similar numbers as Celebrini and Smith last year.


Power Play (through 27 games)
Hagens (2025)......1g, 4a, 5pts
Celebrini (2024)....8g, 8a, 16pts
Smith (2024).........4g, 15a, 19pts

Even Strength (through 27 games)
Hagens (2025)......6g, 18a, 24pts
Celebrini (2024)...15g, 11a, 26pts
Smith (2024)........12g, 10a, 22pts

Boston College is youngest team in NCAA and is playing great team defense, but their power play stinks. Hard to blame one guy. Perreault (5 pts) and Leonard (6 pts) aren't faring much better.

If this is the reason an injured player has passed Hagens in draft rankings, it is a little bizzarre (and doubtful scouts are dinging him as much). And if so, I wonder if same people have moved Leonard and Perreault down their prospect lists too?

Would be curious to see where Fantilli is on that list.

I can buy the argument that others have done more to pass him. I can also buy that he’s maybe slightly disappointed this year. Maybe the better word is slightly stagnated against lofty expectations. Add what Celebrini did last year about 9 months or so younger, and Misa/Schaefer having good years… I get it.

But when you stop and think about it without nitpicking— shredded the U18, 1C on gold winning WJC20 team, point per game 1C on good NCAA team. Great resume with no fatal flaws like size or bad skating.

So I do think if he loses out on going 1st overall— he’s as good as a 2/3OA prospect on draft day as you’ll get outside of an Eichel, Michkov (I know he didn’t go #2) type of prospect. And I’d kind of say that about all of the top 3. This draft may not have the high end 1OA type like a Dahlin or Jack Hughes or Celebrini (much less a McDavid or Bedard) but Misa, Schaefer, Hagens all look like really good prospects.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Waste of words. Your point is totally illogical.

You’re trying to push this idea that Hagens has peaked at age 18, while your OHL faves are ascending.

In reality, literally none of them have performed comparatively to Hagens when they’ve went head to head. In fact, it has been drastic in Hagens favor.


Misa didn’t make Team Canada because he was pretty awful last year (his PPG literally went backwards). It’s kinda hard as a DY player to make a team of older players when your prior season was bad. Slate doesn’t get wiped clean each year. Prior years matter, for making the WJC team and for the NHL draft.

He didn't make Team Canada because in his d-1 year he was on a superteam that played him out of position?

 

[Langway]

I just don't see the cut-through ability to be exceptional with Hagens. I don't think he's on Cooley's level, let alone Celebrini. At times he's just like a Mikael Granlund type...underwhelming. Just seven goals on the season makes him somewhat one-dimensional offensively and he's not such a dominant playmaker or two-way player to overlook it. He's very good but definitely to this point in BC's season...not great.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Their PP woes are making me side-eye Greg Brown (with regards to game strategy not player development). Because how can it be this bad with the talent they have?

He's always been a mediocre at best coach IMO, and I might go so far as to call him actively bad. He basically deployed the freshman line last year in third line even strength minutes.

Hagens on PP2 is a new low, though.

 

[MTU34]

This thread has basically devolved into a few bad faith arguments about the season Hagens has been having and Pavel overreacting by screaming about mass conspiracy

 

[NTDP]

He's always been a mediocre at best coach IMO, and I might go so far as to call him actively bad. He basically deployed the freshman line last year in third line even strength minutes.

Hagens on PP2 is a new low, though.

Agree on Brown, like last year when he waited till about a minute left to pull the goalie in the Natty vs Denver. Like dude put your best six out there and give em an extra minute at least to have a chance. I think he's a little overrated.

 

[NikF]

He's gonna be somewhere between Turcotte and J. Hughes. 50-60 point mobile two-way support-playmaker. He over-supports linemates and puck-watches a bit too much and doesn't have puck on a string like J. Hughes either leading to more of a B-level offensive game than A.

Passing and skating are A-level but utilizing space off-puck, hands, shot, offensive timing are not, they're more of a C to B+. Utilizing space off puck might be a C which paired with a not so great shot might make him a more modest goal-scorer at the next level.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Agree on Brown, like last year when he waited till about a minute left to pull the goalie in the Natty vs Denver. Like dude put your best six out there and give em an extra minute at least to have a chance. I think he's a little overrated.

Yeah, I remember yelling at my TV over that one. Just ridiculous.

 

[WarriorofTime]

He's gonna be somewhere between Turcotte and J. Hughes.

Really going out on a limb, lol. I think he'll be somewhere between Paul Bisonette and Sidney Crosby myself.