The Boston Bruins didn’t have to look far for their first-round pick, as they selected Boston College center James Hagens with the seventh overall pick in Friday night’s NHL Draft.
Hagens is the Bruins’ highest pick since taking Tyler Seguin second overall in 2010, and he addresses their biggest organizational need: a highly skilled center with legitimate first-line upside.
Hagens entered this past season as the projected No. 1 pick, but slipped after “only” putting up 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as an underage freshman at BC.
That might seem harsh, but it was fair to an extent. Macklin Celebrini (1.68 points per game), Jack Eichel (1.78) and Adam Fantilli (1.81) all blew that production out of the water at the same age, and that was probably the level required for Hagens to be seriously considered at first overall. Hagens’ production this season was more in line with what Kent Johnson and Matty Beniers did as freshman teammates at Michigan in 2020-21, which is still a really solid place to be.
Still, Hagens slipping out of the top five was something that seemed highly unlikely until the last week or so, when reports began to surface that teams in the 3-6 range may prioritize bigger players than the 5-foot-10-and-a-half-inch Hagens. That was indeed how things wound up playing out, with Hagens falling into the Bruins’ lap. As we wrote earlier this week, this was arguably the best-case scenario for Boston. If Hagens reaches his ceiling, he could end up looking like the steal of this draft.
At seven, Hagens’ talent was simply too good to pass on. His skillset and the rest of his resume remain extremely impressive. In 2023-24, he had 102 points in 58 games with the U.S. Under-18 Team, a rate of production that has only been eclipsed by Jack Hughes, Will Smith, Gabe Perreault, Auston Matthews and Phil Kessel. He was the No. 1 center and top forward in ice time as an under-ager for the U.S. team that won gold at World Juniors this year. At the 2024 World U18 Championships, he broke Nikita Kucherov’s record for points in a tournament. The year before, he broke the World U-17 Hockey Challenge record for points in a tournament.
Hagens, who turned 18 in November, is an incredibly dynamic player. He is one of the best skaters in this draft class, and he is a high-end playmaker. He consistently sets up teammates for high-danger scoring chances. He can be a one-man transition game. He does a great job of changing speeds to deceive defenders and create space for himself. He puts in the work defensively, and is more of a battler than some give him credit for.
The one thing Hagens definitely needs to do more is look for his own shot. He can be frustratingly deferential at times, especially considering he actually has a really good shot when he uses it. It was understandable at the start of this season given that his linemates were returning stars Perreault and Ryan Leonard (who led the country in goals this year), but there was still some overpassing even at the end of the season.
There had been reports that the New York Islanders, who already had the first overall pick, would try to trade back into the top 10 to also get Hagens, a Long Island native. The Bruins didn’t let that happen, though, choosing to pick him themselves.
“I'm based out of Boston, so I got to see James quite a bit. We saw him a lot in previous years as well,” Bruins director of amateur scouting Ryan Nadeau said at the NHL combine earlier in June. “He was a key component of the US National Team Development Program and a driver there, and was able to step into Boston College and play on their top line with some really good players. Watching him and the way he skates and the way he can attack open ice, and the way he can create space, and he's got such good skill and vision, and he's such a good driver. It was impressive to watch him this year.
“His game has really come along. He's gotten stronger, and it helped to be in college and take on that challenge. Even after school to now, he's worked really hard to put on some extra muscle. And getting to know James and spending a little bit of time with him, he comes from a really great family. He gets to play with his brother at Boston College. Both his parents are eighth-grade teachers. He's just a really, really impressive kid. He's got a young sister who's a pretty good hockey player too, and just a good family dynamic. And just spending a little bit of time with him, it's been good to see him off the ice and get to know him.”
Hagens told reporters that he has not yet decided if he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season, but that he will talk to Bruins management about what they all think is best for him. He also said he has put on some weight this offseason and is up to 190 pounds. He is expected to be in attendance for Bruins development camp at Warrior Ice Arena beginning Monday.
If Hagens does return to BC, the Bruins will have five prospects on the Eagles for the 2025-26 season: Hagens, 2024 first-round pick Dean Letourneau, 2021 fifth-round pick Oskar Jellvik, 2021 seventh-round pick Andre Gasseau, and 2023 seventh-round pick Kristian Kostadinski.
Asked what kind of player Bruins fans can expect to see, Hagens had this to say:
"A player that has a really good hockey IQ, loves to skate with the puck, is an exciting player to watch, one that'll put his heart and soul on the line," Hagens said. "Give it his all for the team."
Prior to the Bruins’ pick, the first six selections were as follows:
1. New York Islanders – Matthew Schaefer, D, Erie Otters (OHL)
2. San Jose Sharks – Michael Misa, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
3. Chicago Blackhawks – Anton Frondell, C, Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)
4. Utah Mammoth – Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
5. Nashville Predators – Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
6. Philadelphia Flyers – Porter Martone, RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
Jake O'Brien and Roger McQueen, two other potential center targets for Boston, went eighth to Seattle and 10th to Anaheim, respectively.