F James Hagens - Boston College, NCAA (2025 Draft)
- Thread starter LeProspector
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Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Steve Kournianos
@thedraftanalyst
Hagens with a hell of a primary assist tonight on Perreault's 1-0 breakaway goal against No. 10 Providence.
You may not care, but NHL teams have drafted less CHL prospects per draft since 2017 than at any point in history while taking more NCAA-bound kids than ever before.
It should be implied that it's quality over quantity. The CHL and its 60 teams makes up about 36 or 37 percent of the NHL draft since 2017 while the USHL -- all 16 teams worth -- make up about 18 percent in that same span, yet the top-scoring numbers among players drafted since 2017 are pretty much equal.
But this was an OHL vs NCAA debate anyway. I think the WHL is a superior development league.
Oh, it's you again. You pop out of the toilet every two or three years and bring up this midseason ranking I had from almost eight years ago, knowing full well I was not entirely sold on Makar until the spring and moved him to fourth overall -- which is where he was drafted. I don't know whether it's sad or flattering that you have that little insignificant nugget bookmarked.
You may not care, but NHL teams have drafted less CHL prospects per draft since 2017 than at any point in history while taking more NCAA-bound kids than ever before.
It should be implied that it's quality over quantity. The CHL and its 60 teams makes up about 36 or 37 percent of the NHL draft since 2017 while the USHL -- all 16 teams worth -- make up about 18 percent in that same span, yet the top-scoring numbers among players drafted since 2017 are pretty much equal.
But this was an OHL vs NCAA debate anyway. I think the WHL is a superior development league.
Steve Kournianos
@thedraftanalyst
Now tied for second in the nation with 12 in 10 games and I think 80 percent are primaries.
wickedwitch
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- Mar 21, 2010
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For Hagens' sake, I don't love the Perreault-Hagens-Leonard line. Obviously, they're going to produce great numbers and Hagens is genuinely making major contributions, but it often feels like Hagens isn't playing his game -- he's trying to fit into Perreault/Leonard's game. I think from just watching his play, he looked better when he wasn't with Perreault and Leonard.
But I also don't think they're going to move Hagens, because he's the only good choice to play with Perreault and Leonard. So hopefully, he'll be able to adapt to that role.
But I also don't think they're going to move Hagens, because he's the only good choice to play with Perreault and Leonard. So hopefully, he'll be able to adapt to that role.
This is a good point. Hagens will inevitably rack up points on that line, but he is playing third fiddle to Perreault/Leonard, which shouldn't be a surprised given that they are two of the most dominant players in college hockey. I do think it's a testament to Hagens' ability to mesh with his linemates that he has seamlessly taken on that role considering that he would be the centerpiece on pretty much any other line. He certainly is not a selfish player.
It would be nice to see Hagens occasionally reunited with Teddy Stiga on the same line. They were fantastic together on the NTDP and really raised each others' games.
Without Smith back I think it makes a lot of sense for BC to split Perreault and Leonard 5v5.
Not that I’m a BC fan, but I’d love to see them run Stiga-Hagens-Leonard for a bit. I think that’s a better fit for Hagens and it moves some scoring punch down the lineup. Problem then is finding the right combination for Perreault
Castle8130
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- May 9, 2017
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Only 2 kids I can see passing him are Schaefer and Martone if Martone hasn't done that already. Hagens is incredibly skilled and intelligent. The only concern is that he may never develop enough strength to maximize his abilities. I'm talking about shot power and winning battles to get to the center of the ice
A lot of people are starting to leave this kid aside, putting Martone first (I prefer Misa).
Don't sleep on James Hagens. 50% in faceoffs with 11 per game, best +- in the country, 1.3ppg with 2.9 shots per game with a rate of 3.4% (I doubt he will finish the year with less than 10%. The goals will start to come and when they do, be careful, your numbers could explode.
Don't sleep on James Hagens. 50% in faceoffs with 11 per game, best +- in the country, 1.3ppg with 2.9 shots per game with a rate of 3.4% (I doubt he will finish the year with less than 10%. The goals will start to come and when they do, be careful, your numbers could explode.
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Deep Blue Metallic
Bo knows hockey.
- Mar 5, 2021
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We hear this about every undersized center. Finesse counts for those guys, not strength. Shot placement, not power.
Jack Hughes is never going to overpower anyone to get to the slot, but he does so routinely.
(No, I'm not equating Hagens to Hughes.)
Castle8130
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Well Hughes is a couple inches bigger than Hagens and his skillset is vastly superior to Hagens. There is more of a concern with Hagens being a franchise caliber talent because of that. Strength has limited a lot of players potential in the past and winning the center of the ice can be a significant factor when deciding between top end prospects. Even Jack Hughes hasn't established himself as a true #1 CENTER in the league yet
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
Imagine stuffing this many errors in such a short paragraph.
scoutman1
Twitter - scoutman33
Jack Hughes has not established himself as a true #1 Center...lol...WHAT??
Also just because Hagens is not deek through an entire team and super flash does not mean he is any less of a player like your saying he is....Hagens has the ability to create plays and the vision to execute those plays like not too many players can do; Hagens is very strong on the puck and has explosiveness out there and can find and dart to open ice with ease...Hughes and Hagens play two different games.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Jack Hughes refused to measure in at the combine. He was last listed at 5’10.
Hagens going into his draft year is being listed at 5’10.5.
By the most recent measurements we have of them as prospects, Hagens is taller.
How could anyone come to the conclusion that Hughes is a few inches taller?
Hagens going into his draft year is being listed at 5’10.5.
By the most recent measurements we have of them as prospects, Hagens is taller.
How could anyone come to the conclusion that Hughes is a few inches taller?
frontsfan67
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Shooting percentage can fluctuate more than we expect. Matt Boldy was 2% (1 goal on 51 shots) to start his freshman year at BC.
Brady Tkachuk shot 6.1% during his draft year at BU which led a few people to prematurely conclude that he had no finish.
Castle8130
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Wasn't Jack Hughes an off and on again winger this past season? I'm pretty sure he has yet to have a full season playing the position CENTER.
Literally first google search "Jack Hughes, a superstar for the NEW JERSEY DEVILs, has played on the wing for most of the 2023-24 season"
Literally first google search "Jack Hughes, a superstar for the NEW JERSEY DEVILs, has played on the wing for most of the 2023-24 season"
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The Crypto Guy
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Just funny how i got so much backlash from some posters when i said this in early Oct. They have been together the last few weeks and have absolutely dominated. 2-3 points a game each and all wins for BC.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
For those questioning why he hasn't scored much even though the assists are there, can you blame him for passing up the shot himself to tee up Leonard here? I want to see a 1C recognizing the capabilities of his linemates and turning good opportunities for himself into great ones for others.
MichaelFarrell
Registered User
Over the past 3-4 years I’ve really tried to put a lot of effort into making my draft lists. I’ve watched a ton of Hagens. I’ve seen him live multiple times with the USNTDP and I’ve seen multiple games of him at BC this year on TV. I know I’m not great at prospect analysis, but I just don’t know if I see Hagens as a first overall pick. Maybe I’m just not seeing the right games, but I don’t think I see a guy who is a surefire 1st line center in the NHL.
James Hagens clearly has the tools you’d expect to see in an NHL player. He is a cerebral playmaking center that has great mobility. I appreciate his compete and his drive to steal the puck from opposing players. He is a very smart player in the offensive zone. He anticipates play well and really shows flashes of elite playmaking ability.
When I’ve seen 1st overall caliber players in the past, guys like Cooley, Bedard, Celebrini, Jack Hughes, and Lafreniere, I saw players that were really jaw dropping. Players with elite intangibles that clearly and definitively separated themselves from their opposition. I know this will probably not sound like good analysis, but I’ve not had any “Holy Sh*t” moments from watching Hagens. I haven’t seen a player out of him that possesses intangibles that make me think “above everybody else in this draft, I need this player on my team”. I know he is playing in a tough conference in a tough league, but I expect to be awestruck by a player unanimously listed 1st overall.
I’ll continue to watch him this year. As a huge fan of USA hockey, I want to see him have success. I like the player, but I expected more the last two years given his great stat line.
James Hagens clearly has the tools you’d expect to see in an NHL player. He is a cerebral playmaking center that has great mobility. I appreciate his compete and his drive to steal the puck from opposing players. He is a very smart player in the offensive zone. He anticipates play well and really shows flashes of elite playmaking ability.
When I’ve seen 1st overall caliber players in the past, guys like Cooley, Bedard, Celebrini, Jack Hughes, and Lafreniere, I saw players that were really jaw dropping. Players with elite intangibles that clearly and definitively separated themselves from their opposition. I know this will probably not sound like good analysis, but I’ve not had any “Holy Sh*t” moments from watching Hagens. I haven’t seen a player out of him that possesses intangibles that make me think “above everybody else in this draft, I need this player on my team”. I know he is playing in a tough conference in a tough league, but I expect to be awestruck by a player unanimously listed 1st overall.
I’ll continue to watch him this year. As a huge fan of USA hockey, I want to see him have success. I like the player, but I expected more the last two years given his great stat line.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Celebrini wasn't a player that did those things either, but was an extremely productive hockey player in all zones.
The overall product with Hagens is extremely strong. He essentially led the USHL in PPG last year and hadn't even reached his draft year while doing so (they don't really count the NTDP players in the official record, but if they did he was first). He's second in college hockey in assists this year in his draft year and when his shooting percentage normalizes will probably enter the Hobey Baker race. He set the U18 Worlds record for most points in a tournament. Set the U17 Worlds record for most points in a tournament the year prior to that.
And I get what you're trying to say, but a player like Cooley was just worse at basically everything other than spinning around in a pirouette like twice per game and maybe 1 out of 10 it would result in a great goal or assist.
Sometimes flashy isn't the name of the game. Watch Alex Barkov. Watch Adam Fox. Not saying he's what those guys are, but not every great player in hockey is McDavid or Makar or someone like that who makes those holy shit plays that you reference.
