Forward is committed to play at Boston College next season; Misa, Martone, Frondell, Ryabkin also highly rated
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By Mike G. Morreale
@mikemorrealeNHL NHL.com Senior Draft Writer
LAS VEGAS -- James Hagens of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 team is projected to be among the top players eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. He has the potential to become the No. 1 pick, NHL scouts say.
The 17-year-old (5-foot-10, 168 pounds) led the NTDP with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists) and 1.76 points a game in 58 games. He had 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) in seven games to help the United States earn a silver medal at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Finland, setting the U-18 record for points, breaking the mark set by Nikita Kucherov in 2011.
“He’s one of those players that possesses the high-end skills and attributes to be a scoring leader and a difference-maker, but what sets him apart the most are his intangibles,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. “He plays with such a focused determination and compete level to make things happen, get the job done and not let anyone get the best of him. One of the trademarks of an elite player is the ability to make others around him better and as James’ game continues to mature, he has the potential to be that type of elite player which makes him one of the top prospects heading into the 2025 draft.”
Hagens said, “I try to be more of a playmaker, try to make the guys around me better. Obviously, you have to know when to shoot and when to take the puck by yourself, but I love looking for that extra pass and finding that open player.”
Not surprisingly, Hagens, who can play center or wing, is a big fan of one of the NHL’s ultimate playmakers, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes.
“He just slows down the game and you watch him play, the way he skates and the way he does things. You can just sit there and watch him all day,” Hagens said. “To be able to just turn on your TV and watch the way he plays, it’s really cool.”
Hagens is committed to play at Boston College next season. The forward was one of the final cuts from the U.S. team that ultimately won a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.
It’s a roster spot Hagens is determined to earn at the 2025 WJC in Ottawa.
“I want to be on that team really bad,” Hagens said. “Getting cut, it hurt. But you just got to take that as motivation. You just got to make sure you keep moving forward and make sure you’re doing all the little things, working harder so that you could make that team the following year. I feel that was one of the biggest things that pushed me to work harder. It motivated me to do a little more.”
Cole Eiserman, selected No. 20 by the New York Islanders in the 2024 NHL Draft, played on a line with Hagens for much of the season.
“I think he’s a great center who can win draws, and to get to play with him was really fun this season,” Eiserman said.
In addition to Hagens, there are other players vying for top billing at the 2025 draft.
Michael Misa (6-0, 173), a left wing with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, had 75 points (29 goals, 46 assists) and 31 power-play points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 67 regular-season games.
“He’s got very high hockey IQ and always seems to make the right play with the puck -- creativity combined with an exceptional skill set and a nose for the net,” NHL Central Scouting’s Nick Smith said. “He skates really well with the patience and poise to make the players around him better.”
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Porter Martone (6-3, 196), a right wing with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, finished second on the team with 71 points (33 goals, 38 assists) and had 21 power-play points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 60 regular-season games.
“He was chosen to be captain for Canada at the U-18 [World Championship], which speaks to his character and the way he plays,” Smith said. “He’s a big power forward who plays physical with really soft hands and an exceptional scoring touch. I like his vision to go with the bite he plays with. He’s the guy you want beside you when you’re heading in the trenches.”
Additionally, center Anton Frondell of Djurgardens IF in Sweden’s junior division and center Ivan Ryabkin of HC Dynamo Moscow in Russia’s minor hockey league are two of the top prospects among the international contingent of players.
“Frondell has been effective in Sweden’s U-20 league and on the national team,” NHL director of European scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. “He has had some injuries at the end of the season and didn’t play at the U-18 [World Championship]. He’s good with the puck, shares great passes and has smooth hands. I feel he’s a bit faster than Ryabkin.”
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Frondell (6-0, 178) had 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 29 regular-season games with the Djurgardens IF U-20 team. Ryabkin (6-0, 170) had 58 points (24 goals, 34 assists) in 44 regular-season games with HC Dynamo Moscow in the Junior Hockey League.
“[Ryabkin] is a different kind of talent from Matvei Michkov or Ivan Demidov,” Vuorinen said. “Ryabkin is more a two-way center. He’s versatile, strong and has good hockey IQ. He can create chances for himself and his teammates.”
