James Hagens could indeed be a transformative pick for the Philadelphia Flyers, especially if they land him at No. 6 in the 2025 NHL Draft. His elite playmaking, skating, and hockey IQ make him a strong fit for a team desperate for a top-line center to pair with Matvei Michkov.
Hagens’ 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 35 NCAA games as a freshman at Boston College, combined with his record-breaking 22 points in seven games at the 2024 U18 World Championship, highlight his high-end potential. His vision and ability to set up teammates could complement Michkov’s finishing, potentially forming a dynamic duo to accelerate the Flyers’ rebuild, “Philly is a great sports city. It would be great to play with Matvei and a player of his talent,” Hagens said in an interview with Jamey Baskow.
“Philly is a great sports city. It would be great to play with Matvei and a player of his talent.” – James Hagens said In an interview with Jamey Baskow
The one down side to Hagens is his smaller frame (5’10.5”, 176 lbs). It raises concerns about physicality, and he’d need to add strength to handle NHL demands, however, It could turn out to be an elite playmaking Center, which it would be nice if he fell to the Flyers with the sixth overall selection.
“I thought I had a great season,” Hagens said. “You are playing against guys that are 25 and 24-year-olds every night. It’s tough. It’s hard hockey. But, I’m grateful to have the year I was able to have with the group of guys that we did have, those guys who were able to sign and move on and just seeing all the great things they are doing now, being with them throughout the year was special. This year went really well. Coming in right away and learning how to adapt to the pace of play, and the structure of a college-level game is something that really helped me and helped my game out.”
Hagens has not committed to Boston College for next season yet, rather he is waiting until after the draft to make that decision on his career. Moving forward. He explains that he will talk to the team that drafts him, do what’s best for the organization and his family. Hagens Said that both he and his family will make the decision accordingly, so in a way he could play for the orange and black next season possibly, that is of course if he falls to the Flyers at 6.
what happens next in June is anyone’s guess, but Hagens would be one heck of a selection, and would speed up the rebuild for the Flyers dramatically.
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