9 NHL Prospects Who Should Play NCAA Hockey in the 2024-25 Season | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Sure, center James Hagens hasn’t technically been selected yet. But he’s a prospect worth keeping an eye on, so he ticks both boxes.

Hagens is currently the player most likely to go first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, but whether he maintains that status throughout the season remains to be seen. (Current top prospects: Porter Martone and Roger McQueen, both CHL players.) It depends a lot on who goes first overall, but one thing we know: Hagens is in a class of his own when it comes to what he can do with it Puck.

He has two games and two assists in his first season at Boston College, so it’s a little early to judge this season’s play. However, last season he broke the 100-point mark with the NTDP (36G/63A) and set the individual tournament record with 22 at this year’s U18. From what we’ve seen so far, Hagens is an outstanding playmaker with elite skating and puck skills. He combines these skills with vision and poise to make life difficult for the opposing team every time he is on the ice. We don’t expect that to change in the college environment. Expect to see him with Team USA at the 2025 World Junior Championships as well.