The Best Fits for Boston College Men's Hockey Forward James Hagens in 2025 NHL Draft

A point-per-game statline for the entire season is not something to be overlooked, and it’s safe to say the expectations for Hagens were too far above his head—or anybodys for that matter. Hagens turned 18 right before the start of the 2024-25 season, and playing against 19 to 22 year olds in the Hockey East is no small jump.

He might be one of those players who requires time at the collegiate level to develop physically, which is the defining trait that has taken Hagens out of the No. 1 overall pick conversation. 

Corey Pronman of The Athletic cited Hagens’ inability to get inside on college defenders last season, due to his lack of pure size, as a reason why players like Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers and Michael Misa—all of whom Hagens has outplayed in tournaments growing up and in world championship tournaments—could be selected before him in the draft.

With all that being said, here is a look at what teams Hagens fits best in the NHL and why.

Best Fit: New York Islanders

This fit is a no-brainer.

Born in Hauppauge, N.Y., which is located about midway up the strip of East-shore island which extends from New York City—also known as Long Island—the ties between Hagens and the Islanders’ franchise goes deep. His hometown is just a 36 mile drive from the UBS Arena, where the Islanders play, and he grew up an “Isles” fan.

This is simply a pick that the local fan base would adore, and New York possesses rights to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft this year after winning the lottery on May 5.

New York lost the rights to its No. 1 overall pick in 2024 when long-time captain Jonathan Taveres signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, so to have the rights to the top pick the following year with a home-grown talent on the board right from the jump has to be enticing for franchise owners and head coach Patrick Roy.

Hagens, a lefty shooter, is far and away the best pure goalscorer in the draft this year. The only predicament is whether or not he will have enough bulk to make that scoring ability translate to the faster and bigger game of the show.

The Islanders finished sixth in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division in 2024-25 and were severely underwhelming in the offensive end, tallying a division-lowest 224 goals last year. With time as a factor, Hagens could potentially give the franchise that star firepower when paired alongside Mathew Barzal that could reignite some fireworks for the club he grew up a beloved fan of.

The Islanders also don't necessarily have to grab Hagens at No. 1. An opportunity to trade down in the draft and still stay in the top-10 is possible, which would make the pick even more reasonable. It still wouldn't be frowned upon by any drastic measures if the Islanders choose to stick with their position and select him, however.

Second-Best Fit: Boston Bruins

For most of the 2010-2020s, the Bruins have made themselves perennial NHL Stanley Cup playoff contenders.

That has all changed since Boston traded away its captain, Brad Marchand, who went on to becoming an NHL Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers this past week. Marchand scored 10 goals in the playoffs and six in the Stanley Cup finals alone, filling in an offensive gap which perfected Florida’s depth chart.

Outside of star forward David Pastrňák, who tied for third in the NHL with 95 points in 2024-25, the Bruins’ current roster features very few additional offensive playmakers, let alone true goal scorers.

Boston isn’t going to change in just one season. It may take three to four, or even more, which is why Hagens’ model as an NHL prospect fits the Bruins extremely well.

Once thought to be an immediate impact player—and a possible one-and-done college skater who would light up the Hockey East before taking his talents to the pros—it seems more likely than not that Hagens is more of a project in the making. His progression in college is more important than advancing into the professional ranks on a quick timeline, and the forward is expected to return to Chestnut Hill to play under coach Greg Brown next year for that reason.

Hagens and the Bruins make sense in this way, especially with where the Bruins sit in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft—with the No. 7 overall pick.

Additionally, Hagens is now a familiar face to the Boston landscape. His second home is in the Boston area, having been at the University for a year and with more time to come. The Bruins are familiar with his game as well—the trip from Boston’s practice facility in Brighton, Mass. to Conte Forum is about a ten-minute drive and only two miles apart.

In the recent weeks leading up to the draft, the Hagens-Boston connection has become linked more and more, given the position the Bruins landed themselves in for the upcoming draft. 

Hagens could be a massive addition for first-time NHL head coach Marco Sturm, who was named Boston’s 30th coach in franchise history on May 28, if his size develops further and the skills translate the way they are projected to.

Additional Good Fits: San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers