There hasn't been much intrigue at the top of the draft in the past two seasons. Connor Bedard had first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft locked up years in advance. There were a few pretenders for that spot in the 2024 draft, but Macklin Celebrini held his claim when the league descended upon Las Vegas, Nevada, for this year's draft.

Which brings us to the 2025 NHL Draft, with James Hagens as its frontrunner. The 5-foot-10, 170-pound American centre has been atop his age bracket for as long as this class has been on scouts radar. He spent the entirety of his draft-minus-one season with the USNTDP U18 team and was far and away their best player, leading the team with 102 points in 58 contests. A brilliant encore to the 19 points that he amassed in 17 games with that team as a 16-year-old.

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