Next up in my prospect series, and potential Flyers Draft Pick, is James Hagens. A full calendar year ago, if you told me that Hagens would be available at 6 for the Flyers, I’d have called you crazy. And honestly, I still might. He was projected to be the number 1 overall pick this time last year.
Now, his fall from that position isn’t uncommon. Most recently we saw it with Shane Wright, Seth Jones, and even Sean Couturier was looked at as the number 1 pick before their draft seasons began. What tends to happen when a guy drops from the perceived #1 status lock is a few things: sometimes it’s injuries/sickness (Coots), sometimes it’s a drop in performance (Wright), and in Hagens’ case, it’s really just that he’s been scrutinized so heavily for so long. When he doesn’t put up Celebrini-esque numbers in College Hockey for his draft year, people begin to pick apart his game at a level most prospects don’t experience.
Make no mistake—James Hagens will have a long, productive career in the NHL. He’s cut from the same cloth as Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, and I’d even go as far as saying he has a similar skill set to Patrick Kane. Does that mean he’ll be as good as any of those three? Maybe yes, maybe no. That’s the fun part of this time of year: being able to make projections and see where they land.
Below I have 10 clips that showcase Hagens’ game, which I’ve organized into three sections. I’ll also talk about what you don’t see out of his game (which is evidenced by these clips as well).
Elite Vision and Playmaking
Clip 1 – Watching any game with Hagens at Boston College this year, it’s evident that his hands are at the top of his skill set. His playmaking/hockey IQ are Elite, and he makes plays just like this in every game.
Clip 2 – This is a great look at Hagens on the Power Play at the World Juniors for Team USA. Similar to Matvei Michkov and Frondell (whom we looked at in the last article), Hagens operates on that right flank. While he does have the ability to shoot, he’s a natural distributor. In this clip, you see him thread a needle on a pass that very few have the ability to make against top-level talent. He sees things that others need an extra second to process. Usually by then, they’ve missed the opportunity to make that pass. Hagens makes passes like this routinely.
Clip 3 – Here’s another area where Hagens capitalizes on a defense that doesn’t see the puck turning over. With his speed, he’s going to win any race where he has 3-4 strides on another player. He earns this breakaway, but his initial instinct is to see that he has Perreault with him and passes on a breakaway. This wasn’t some 2-on-0; this was a clear breakaway with a back-checker right on his heels, and he still passes to Perreault. Everything works out for the goal, but there are times where Hagens is too pass-friendly, and I think this is one of them.
Clip 4 – Speaking of Hagens being so pass-friendly, there are times where it does open up an easy goal when his pass comes right back to him. This is one of those examples where Hagens finds the soft spot in the D coverage, immediately moves the puck as he keeps his feet moving to stay open, and is able to bury it when the puck comes back to him.
Hockey IQ and Forechecking
Clip 5 – One thing I like about Hagens’ game is that while he’s not a physical presence with or without the puck, he uses his hockey IQ and skating to be effective on the forecheck. As evident in this play, he anticipates that the defenseman is going to go D-to-D behind the net (in the direction he’s coming from), and by pre-scanning/using his peripherals (which is a huge part of his playmaking abilities), he’s able to not only pick that pass off but make an immediate pass to the slot where Rangers draft pick Gabe Perreault has a mini-breakaway.
Clip 6 – Very similar to the last clip, Hagens on the forecheck is never a threat to hit the defenseman, but being able to close the gap and pick off a pass allows him to hit Perreault again for a goal. Plays like this infuriate the opposing coach because you go from a breakout with hopes of playing in the offensive zone to the puck in the back of your net within 3.5 seconds.
Clip 7 –– This whole shift in the offensive zone for Hagens is just a showcase of his hockey IQ. You can see him reading the play before it happens. He floats around a little, but it’s all very intentional as he’s trying to get open/wait for the right moment to make his move. In this case, it comes when he sees a shot from the point is coming. He’s first looking for the pass back/tip option, but as soon as the puck goes a little wide, he’s already moving (as he always is) and is able to jump on the loose puck for an easy wraparound. You need his skating ability to make a play like this happen.
Clip 8 – I’ve talked a lot about Hagens’ hockey IQ, and his ability to get lost in coverage isn’t by accident. The puck just finds guys like him because his hockey IQ is elite. He knows where to go on the ice and when to go there. This is an easy tap-in goal just by being smarter than his opponent.
Scoring Ability and Areas for Improvement
Clip 9 – A great example here of Hagens anticipating a turnover and starting to skate in anticipation of a breakaway. This time he finally uses his shot (which he does have) and scores it himself. He doesn’t look to pass or move it, just blasts one past the goalie from the low slot.
Clip 10 – Now, it’s plays like this that won’t work with a tough coach. For as good offensively as Hagens is, there are times when you see him glide around in the D-Zone that will cost you. This is one of those examples where you’d like a guy with his skating ability at center to help smother the opponents behind the goal line. Instead, you see him make a business decision and stop skating. He actively doesn’t want to make physical contact and would rather wait for the puck to come to him at times. This one leads to a goal against, and I’m sure he heard about it in film review.
All of this said, James Hagens is going to be an excellent hockey player wherever he ends up. Do I think he falls to 6 for Philly? I personally don’t. But it’s not a zero percent chance. Never say never.
In conclusion, Hagens projects to be a dynamic NHL talent regardless of which team drafts him. While I’d be surprised to see him available at 6th overall for the Flyers, stranger things have happened on draft day. If Philly does land him, pairing his elite playmaking with finishers like TK or Michkov would create an exciting offensive core. However, the Flyers would need to balance the lineup with more physically imposing players who can create space when playoff hockey tightens up. Championship teams often feature skilled players like Hagens, but they typically surround them with complementary pieces who bring different elements. Bottom line: you don’t pass on a talent like Hagens if he’s there at 6, but temper expectations about his immediate impact—he’ll likely need development time before reaching his full potential in the NHL.
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