With the Stanley Cup Final wrapped up, NHL clubs have turned their attention to the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft. The New York Islanders won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery and reserve the right to select with the first overall pick, and they hope to land a player who will eventually play a role in not only the team returning to the postseason but also getting back into title contention.
Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters, is expected to go to the Islanders with the first overall pick. And while there remains a bevy of talented prospects who can’t wait to make their mark in the NHL, one notable prospect has seen his draft stock dip in recent days.
Boston College Star James Hagens’ 2025 NHL Draft Stock Falls
James Hagens, an 18-year-old center from Boston College, is projected to be a first-round pick and was routinely named inside the top 3 of prospect rankings by various lists in the early draft discussions. Currently, he’s ranked fourth by Elite Prospects, fourth by Daily Faceoff, and third by Dobber Prospects.
However, in a recent ranking from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the commentator wrote that Hagens has seen his stock fall and is projected to be in seventh place.
“The Boston College 5-foot-11, 177-pound freshman centre is trending, but in the wrong direction,” McKenzie wrote. “He was No. 1 on TSN’s 2025 Pre-Season Draft Rankings, securing nine of 10 votes last September; he slipped to No. 2 in our mid-season rankings in January, getting seven of 10 second-place votes; he was down to No. 5 on our Draft Lottery Edition rankings in May and now he finds himself at No. 7.”
McKenzie also said that while there is little separating the third through ninth-ranked prospects, there is trepidation from the teams about Hagens.
“While Hagens’ stock has dipped, don’t forget what we said about the players ranked from No. 3 to 9. There is very little separating them,” the hockey commentator wrote. “Nevertheless, Hagens getting all his votes between Nos. 5 and 10 reflects some degree of trepidation.”
Hagens will soon have the chance to prove any of his doubters wrong if he ultimately does get selected, as he’s projected to be, within the top-10 picks in the upcoming Draft. He scored 11 goals with 26 assists in 37 games played in the 2024-25 season with Boston College. He also represented the United States in the 2025 World Junior Championships, scoring five goals with four assists in seven games.
A native of Hauppauge, New York, Hagens has also played for the United States Under-18 and Under-17 national teams.
