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

[Mathieukferland]

So I don't know about all teams, but I know the Caps are giving guys like Cristall and Leonard instructions/advice during the season. Both players have talked about this. Cristall, for example, said his workout plan was from the Caps. Neither mentioned specifically how that was coordinated with their current coaches.

Yeah it probably varies from org to org, the guys I was familiar with were in the Minnesota, St. Louis, Columbus and Montréal organizations. The overarching point I was trying to make relating to my comment about dev camps and organizational follow ups is that it would not greatly increase a player’s level (in the background so to speak) compared to the coaching and guidance they’re already getting with their current team

 

[newmanager]

BC (.552) and Michigan (.553) are essentially tied for the highest SoS in the NCAA, which uses USCHO's rankings, which uses RPI, which uses SoS. A huuuuge part of any RPI is strength of schedule.

Here is the official link:

Men's Division I RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | Rankings - College Hockey | USCHO.com

Rankings College Hockey Rankings, USCHO Poll, USA Today Poll, PairEWise rankings, PWR, PairWise Comaparison, RPI, Ratings Percentage Index

www.uscho.com

Question -- Did you just begin following college sports? I know they're not big at all in Canada, so maybe that explains it. Well, here in the U.S., SoS and RPI are quite relevant come bowl season, March Madness, and Frozen Four time, among other NCAA championship tournaments.

BC (.552) and Michigan (.553) are essentially tied for the highest SoS in the NCAA, which uses USCHO's rankings, which uses RPI, which uses SoS. A huuuuge part of any RPI is strength of schedule.

Here is the official link:

Men's Division I RPI | Ratings Percentage Index | Rankings - College Hockey | USCHO.com

Rankings College Hockey Rankings, USCHO Poll, USA Today Poll, PairEWise rankings, PWR, PairWise Comaparison, RPI, Ratings Percentage Index

www.uscho.com

Question -- Did you just begin following college sports? I know they're not big at all in Canada, so maybe that explains it. Well, here in the U.S., SoS and RPI are quite relevant come bowl season, March Madness, and Frozen Four time, among other NCAA championship tournaments.

I know how RPI and SOS works but with all the mistakes they make in the NCAA offices I am kind of sceptical on them applying it properly.

I used to follow NCAA hockey pretty closely but since moving to Canada have mostly stuck to the WHL rinks. I'll have to admit that now I much prefer the WHL to NCAA now. NCAA just doesn't have the same physicality as the WHL. I find the WHL more closely resembles the NHL than any other league I've been to with all that hitting and rough stuff. Just my personal preference.

 

[Nazzz]

Since this is the James Hagens thread, which NHL player is a good positive comparison for his projected game at the NHL level? I personally see Turcotte 2.0 and that's not very appealing for a top 1-3 (top 5?) pick. Here's a good player in a good environment playing good hockey, but where's that next gear?

Better Tomas Hertl

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Better Tomas Hertl

Hertl is a slow-skating power forward who out uses size to hold onto the puck.

That's not Hagens at all

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

There’s no great comparison, but a combination of Jack Hughes, Sebastian Aho, and Brayden Point.

 

[eklund2chicago]

Logan Cooley/Berkly Catton hybrid

 

[Jacob]

Better Tomas Hertl

???

 

[Just Linda]

I like how I asked for anyone to name a better forward in this draft than Hagens, and the best we got is “watch Misa play”. Like I f***ing haven’t all season lol. I swear you guys must like living on a hamster wheel.

Misa is a turnover-prone passer for a projected first-overall pick and faces the weakest goaltending of all major or European junior leagues. It’s also his third full OHL season and was cut from Canada’s WJC team. He was disappointing in both games of the CHL-NTDP challenge and showed a lack of maturity when he was suspended for the Teddy Bear Toss incident.

Martone is a turnover-prone winger with below average speed who goes through droughts of ineffectiveness. It also is his third full OHL season. He was a healthy scratch at the WJC and his post-WJC production has dropped from 2.08 before to 1.46 through March 2. He has not consistently played like projected No. 1 pick for some time and could be playing himself out of the top five.

Frondell has had multiple injuries dating back to last year, including the knee. A potentially serious long-term concern. Other than that he’s been either dominant or snake-bitten.

Want me to go on? Eklund? Desnoyers? Bear? McQueen lol?

I think you might not be listening to the criticism and analysis people provide.

I heard an NHL scout say that the error people often make is to look for the best player on the ice rather than the player who's skills too good for the level he plays at.

When I watch Hagens, I see a player who's good enough for the level he's at. He seems to keep up or almost keep up in the games he plays. He's not the best player on the ice most of the time but he's pretty close, he would be the best if he played junior hockey. He doesn't take over games the same way that guys like Fantilli did, he's not as effective as Celebrini was. Nothing about his game transcends the game he plays, nothing stands out as a level above the talent he plays with.

I found there's 2 players from this year's draft who, though they aren't as good as Hagens is now, possess skills that are of a higher level than Hagens. Misa and Desnoyers.

If it's a debate between great but inconsistent or good but consistent, I find I have to go great but inconsistent. There's 2 guys in the draft who have higher skill ceilings than Hagens. I don't see it from Martone, I don't see it from McQueen, I haven't deep dived Frondell and Eklund yet but those 2 guys are easy enough choices above Hagens for me for the reasons above.

 

[HawksDub89]

I think Hagens will be a good NHLer but I’ve lost faith in his ceiling.

 

[Nazzz]

I think Hagens will be a good NHLer but I’ve lost faith in his ceiling.

should not lose the faith haha he s coming to Chicago.