F James Hagens - USNTDP Juniors, USHL (2025 Draft)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

1+1, third star, and hardest worker. Another day at the office for Jimmy.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

His agent mentioned in the article that Long Island kids havé a bad reputation, what is it exactly?

Cocky dbags basically

FLIDs baby

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Had the rare scoreless game yesterday. 1+1 today.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Probably have seen a few bad games, so I don't want to make too much of it, but he's been very sloppy in the games I've seen this year. Doing the types of things you can't do in the NHL. Bad turnovers in his own zone. Lazy passes. Misplaying passes he should be able to complete in his sleep. Has anyone seen the same?

He's also completely capable of breaking open a shift and dominating games. That is there every game. He puts up points so easily. I think his defensive game is very underrated also with his back-checking and how he has the small details down defensively. He's a lot more defensively responsible than players like Hughes and Bedard were at the same age.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Probably have seen a few bad games, so I don't want to make too much of it, but he's been very sloppy in the games I've seen this year. Doing the types of things you can't do in the NHL. Bad turnovers in his own zone. Lazy passes. Misplaying passes he should be able to complete in his sleep. Has anyone seen the same?

I've seen some of that.

Can pinpoint the reason. Motivation issue? I don't think so, but yeah, sometimes he's just off.

 

[JiggsNY]

 

[JiggsNY]

Admittedly I'm just stat watching here, but he hasn't had quite the numbers I was expecting coming into the year with 1OA hype. I know he's a late birthday, but him and Eiserman are just kind of putting up the same numbers as last year (albeit with NCAA games thrown in). Can anyone speak to the numbers/ eye test? Or is this years squad just much weaker overall compared to past top guys teams.

 

[William H Bonney]

Admittedly I'm just stat watching here, but he hasn't had quite the numbers I was expecting coming into the year with 1OA hype. I know he's a late birthday, but him and Eiserman are just kind of putting up the same numbers as last year (albeit with NCAA games thrown in). Can anyone speak to the numbers/ eye test? Or is this years squad just much weaker overall compared to past top guys teams.

I'm sure others have seen him more than I have this year, but I think it's combination. He's been a bit inconsistent this year. Too many no-show games for his talent and compete level. But when he's on, he's usually dominated. He needs to pick his spots better though. Sometimes he's far too deferential, and others he succumbs to tunnel vision and trying to do it all himself. The team also isn't that talented. Not that it's a bad team but with Hagens and Eiserman largely separated all season, they are both playing with some guys who would be hard pressed to be in the top 6 for a lot of NTDP teams. And the defensive group isn't the most effective at contributing to the offensive side of things outside of Hensler and Huston.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He could play better sometimes, but he’s done pretty well. He’s leading the USHL in PPG, and isn’t draft eligible for another year. His numbers are lower than players like Eichel and Matthews, and most likely he isn’t at their level, especially if he doesn’t grow beyond 5’10, but he’s playing on one of the weakest NTDP teams in a long time. Only the 2002 team and 2003 teams were worse. I don’t know what the exact percentage would be, but if he had better teammates you could add .2-.5 onto his points per game, and his numbers for this season would be towards the top of the charts all time.

People don’t realize that he’s played very few games with Eiserman all year. Most of the year he’s been carrying around 2nd-5th round picks.

It’s some of everything. He could play better. He hasn’t brought his best every game and dominated, but this isn’t like a bad season by any means, considering that he’s playing for a weaker team than the NTDP usually has and it’d be virtually impossible for him to put up the same stats as the best NTDP seasons ever.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Pronman was saying that going into the year the scouts thought the '25 draft would be the Hagens draft, but he hasn't played so convincingly well this year that it puts that status up in the air for next year, more and more scouts starting to prefer Frondell.

 

[WarriorofTime]

He could play better sometimes, but he’s done pretty well. He’s leading the USHL in PPG, and isn’t draft eligible for another year. His numbers are lower than players like Eichel and Matthews, and most likely he isn’t at their level, especially if he doesn’t grow beyond 5’10, but he’s playing on one of the weakest NTDP teams in a long time. Only the 2002 team and 2003 teams were worse. I don’t know what the exact percentage would be, but if he had better teammates you could add .2-.5 onto his points per game, and his numbers for this season would be towards the top of the charts all time.

People don’t realize that he’s played very few games with Eiserman all year. Most of the year he’s been carrying around 2nd-5th round picks.

It’s some of everything. He could play better. He hasn’t brought his best every game and dominated, but this isn’t like a bad season by any means, considering that he’s playing for a weaker team than the NTDP usually has and it’d be virtually impossible for him to put up the same stats as the best NTDP seasons ever.

This NTDP team is fairly mid-level. 01, 04 and 05 were better but they are better than 02, 03 and 07. Don’t forget the 00s, very few of whom are under nhl contract as 23 turning 24 year olds and were largely replaced by 01s by the time their U18s came around.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’m not really seeing that many challengers to him.

Ain’t no way Hensler will go 1OA. I know Wheeler has him second, but he’s like a David Reinbacher. The upside isn’t there for that spot.

Misa has went backwards this season. Scoring less and scoring is what he’s known for. He’s probably not going to fall that far, but it seems a little bit of a stretch to say he’s going to contend for the first pick.

Martone and Frondell seem to be the most likely to challenge Hagens. Boumedienne, Schaefer, and McQueen would be the dark horses that can make a run at it if they have incredible seasons that they haven’t had yet.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

I’m not really seeing that many challengers to him.

Ain’t no way Hensler will go 1OA. I know Wheeler has him second, but he’s like a David Reinbacher. The upside isn’t there for that spot.

Misa has went backwards this season. Scoring less and scoring is what he’s known for. He’s probably not going to fall that far, but it seems a little bit of a stretch to say he’s going to contend for the first pick.

Martone and Frondell seem to be the most likely to challenge Hagens. Boumedienne, Schaefer, and McQueen would be the dark horses that can make a run at it if they have incredible seasons that they haven’t had yet.

Frondell has been quickly getting the attention of people. They still have almost a year and a half so we'll what happens next season. No one knew who Anton Silayev was last year and Bob Mckenzie had him 2nd overall in his midseason rankings. Alot can change in a year.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Frondell has been quickly getting the attention of people. They still have almost a year and a half so we'll what happens next season. No one knew who Anton Silayev was last year and Bob Mckenzie had him 2nd overall in his midseason rankings. Alot can change in a year.

Sure, but no one has gotten close to Celebrini.

I think Catton and Demidov have had the best seasons other than Celebrini, but the NHL folks don’t like players like them.

The others who NHL teams would allow to go 1OA haven’t had the types of seasons of a 1OA.

It’s very hard to come from nowhere and put together a 1OA season. Only two I can remember in the last 10 years are Hischier and Slafkovsky.

Hagens is the big favorite because there’s not a lot of competition, similar to this year with Celebrini.

 

[Corso]

Sure, but no one has gotten close to Celebrini.

I think Catton and Demidov have had the best seasons other than Celebrini, but the NHL folks don’t like players like them.

The others who NHL teams would allow to go 1OA haven’t had the types of seasons of a 1OA.

It’s very hard to come from nowhere and put together a 1OA season. Only two I can remember in the last 10 years are Hischier and Slafkovsky.

Hagens is the big favorite because there’s not a lot of competition, similar to this year with Celebrini.

Hagens would have to under-perform in college next year ( a ppg or less) and Martone, Frondell and Misa would need to have monster seasons....

 

[WarriorofTime]

I’m not really seeing that many challengers to him.

Ain’t no way Hensler will go 1OA. I know Wheeler has him second, but he’s like a David Reinbacher. The upside isn’t there for that spot.

Misa has went backwards this season. Scoring less and scoring is what he’s known for. He’s probably not going to fall that far, but it seems a little bit of a stretch to say he’s going to contend for the first pick.

Martone and Frondell seem to be the most likely to challenge Hagens. Boumedienne, Schaefer, and McQueen would be the dark horses that can make a run at it if they have incredible seasons that they haven’t had yet.

If teams don't do the "oh no russian" thing, Ryabkin deserves some eyeballs as well. 4th best PPG in the MHL this year in his Age 16 season.

 

[JiggsNY]

Will be interesting next year, we'll have a pretty much 1 to 1 comparison with the season Celebrini just put up.

 

[Musampa]

If teams don't do the "oh no russian" thing, Ryabkin deserves some eyeballs as well. 4th best PPG in the MHL this year in his Age 16 season.

Ryabkin will be top 3 without a doubt.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Ryabkin will be top 3 without a doubt.

Maybe but that KHL extension will hurt him a bit.

 

[sigx15]

Has 4 goals and an assist through 2 periods tonight against Dubuque after 1 & 1 last night.

This is probably his nicest play of the night assisting on Stiga's goal

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[sigx15]

1G 2A tonight. Up to 1.84 pts per game in the USHL this year. Really impressive for who he’s been playing with all year

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

1G 2A tonight. Up to 1.84 pts per game in the USHL this year. Really impressive for who he’s been playing with all year

Yeah, I completely agree. Not saying he hasn't had a few bad games here or there or that he's completely distancing himself, but when I see people lumping him in with some of the disappointing play from his team this year and questioning if he should drop in the draft for next year because of that, I think that's completely off.

Who even looks like a challenger? Frondell for one. Not too many others. Missa having a down year has probably created more distance between him and whoever is second than when the season started. Hagens has had a very good season. There's room for someone to challenge him. We'll see if that happens, but Hagens is doing his part to be picked 1st overall next year.

 

[clevelandcane]

I was in Plymouth the last few days for the 14U Natty's. I was grabbing something to eat and I could have sworn I saw him walking around town on Thursday night.

James please confirm or deny.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]