The Philadelphia Flyers need to rebuild certain parts of their roster.
Lucky for them, general manager Daniel Briere has plenty of high-round draft picks at his disposal. Specifically, the Flyers have three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, which will be held in late June. They have their first-round pick at No. 6 but will have two more first-round picks due to trades with the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers.
Philly also has four second-round picks, one in the third round, two in the fifth, and one more in the sixth.
Naturally, the first question on any Flyers’ mind right now is who the Flyers will select at No. 6. Well, according to NBC Sports, that answer is center James Hagens.
Who Is James Hagens? Flyers Linked to ‘Matt Duchene Type of Player’ Prospect
Hagens is a perfect fit for the Flyers, who need more talent in the center position and down the middle of the ice.
He has drawn the most attention lately compared to the great Matt Duchene. Currently with the Dallas Stars, Duchene was known as a young stud back in his start; he became the youngest player in Colorado’s franchise history to reach 100 points in 2010-11 when he was only 20 years old. That same year, he also appeared in the NHL All-Star Game. Also, that season, Duchene became the youngest player in Avalanche history to lead the team in scoring, with 27 goals.
Hagens is also highly skilled at the young age of 18. He was recently one of the top freshmen in NCAA Division I hockey, playing for Boston College, where many great NHLers (such as Chris Kreider) were produced.
Goal or assist? Singing or dancing? 🤔
We gave Upper Deck Exclusive Athlete James Hagens the This or That treatment 🎬
Watch how one of the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects answered! pic.twitter.com/vihgjxDy35— Upper Deck (@UpperDeckSports) May 19, 2025
Standing 5’10” and weighing 177 pounds, the lefty averaged a point-per-game with 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games and had a plus-21 rating for an Eagles team that went 27-8-2 and appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
Hagens also boasts an international resume. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring nine points (five goals, four assists) and earning a plus-9 rating in seven games.
According to TSN director of scouting Craig Button, Hagens is similar to Duchene in that he is speedy.
“[Hagens is] somebody that’s quick, somebody that’s fast, somebody that can make plays,” Button said. “He might be like a Matt Duchene type of player. Matt Duchene in his career has put up points and has been a good player … [Hagens is] similar in style and type of play to Matt Duchene — quick, fast, darting, makes good plays, can score some goals.”
Hagens is ranked No.4 on EliteProspects.com’s list of the best players in the draft. According to NHL Central Scouting, he’s also slated at No. 3 among USA skaters.
Should he still be available at the time of the No. 6 pick, it’s only natural that the Flyers welcome in the young skater known for his speed.
