James Hagens, expected to be among the first players selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, received an A rating on Central Office’s preliminary Players to Watch list; NHL scouting report, released Wednesday.
This list is a compilation of draft-eligible prospects playing in all major developmental leagues in North America and Europe. It will be updated throughout the season as scouts continue to evaluate players.
**VIEW THE FULL PRELIMINARY LIST OF PLAYERS TO WATCH**
Hagens (5-foot-10, 177 pounds), who turns 18 on Nov. 3, had four points (one goal, three assists) in three games in his first season with Boston College in the Hockey East. He could become the sixth NCAA player to be selected first overall in the NHL draft, and the first American-born player to achieve that distinction since Jack Hughes was drafted by the New York Devils. Jersey in 2019. He would also become the first Boston College representative to be the first overall pick.
Players who earn an A rating are considered potential first-round picks. Players with a B grade are considered potential second and third round picks. Players with a C rating are fourth or fifth round picks, and those with a W rating are potential sixth or seventh round picks.
Hagens led USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP) under-18 team with 63 assists, 102 points and a 1.76 points per game average in 58 games. last season.
“In the case of James, there is no doubt that it is time for him to play at a higher level and to be pushed, to be challenged, so that he continues to use his immense sense of competition in order to go even further, said associate director of the NHL Central Scouting Bureau David Gregory. So to have a tough schedule with Boston College on one of the best teams in the country in an environment that will allow him to polish his raw skills is a very good thing for him. I don’t think he has any bad habits, and he plays very maturely. It’s like he’s been playing at the college level for a really long time, not like he’s a first-year player. The way he skates, the way he thinks on the ice and his sense of competition places him among the elite. »
Among the skaters given an “A” rating and who could be drafted in the first half of the first round are forwards Porter Martone of Brampton (OHL), Anton Frondell of Djurgardens in the Elite League of the Sweden, Roger McQueen of Brandon in the Western Hockey League, Michael Misa of Saginaw (OHL), Caleb Desnoyers of Moncton in the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League, and Ivan Ryabkin of Moscow in the junior ranks Russians, as well as defensemen Logan Hensler, of the University of Wisconsin, and Matthew Schaefer, of Erie (OHL).
Martone (6-3, 196) is Brampton’s captain and leads the team with 20 points and 10 goals in nine games. In his first prospect diary on NHL.com, Martone wrote that he considers himself a power forward who sees the game well and can score from different spots on the ice.
“I like that Porter can play any style on the ice that will translate well to the next level,” said Central Office’s Nick Smith. “His sense of the game is elite, which allows him to slow the game down to the pace he wants. He is among the elite in puck handling, so he takes advantage of the time and space he manages to create. He can also be sturdy and defend himself. »
Frondell (6-0, 178) had knee surgery in September, but returned to the lineup a few weeks ago. He has three points (two goals, one assist) in three games with the Djurgardens junior under-20 team. He had scored 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 29 games with this same team in 2023-24.
“Anton is a complete, skilled and imposing player,” said NHL European scouting director Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen. “He is a powerful skater and difficult to catch. He wins most of his 1-on-1 battles thanks to his attitude, his power and his stick. He is intelligent in the passes he makes. He is an asset to a team, especially on the power play. »
