Each year, there seems to be a more robust group of NHL Draft-eligible prospects playing in men’s college hockey. It’s now an annual occurrence that one of the very best players for the forthcoming draft will be spending one of the most crucial years of his career in the NCAA.

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That will be true again this year as the current projected No. 1 prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft will be playing for Boston College. Long Island native James Hagens, who spent the last two seasons with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, will make his NCAA debut for the Eagles.

Hagens will not be the only highly-regarded NHL Draft prospect competing in the college ranks this season, however. In fact, there are six first-year NHL Draft eligible players spread out across the country and various conferences.

Here’s a look at the players NHL Draft watchers should be paying special attention to. 

2025 NHL Draft Picks Playing In College Hockey

James Hagens, C, Boston College

After all the NHL Draft attention was on the opposite end of Commonwealth Ave., focused in on Boston University star Macklin Celebrini, the scout attendance is going to be especially high at Conte Forum. Hagens, who will turn 18 in November, is widely projected as the favorite to go first overall in June after putting up 102 points last season.

He’s a special player, no question. The speed, vision and creativity he brings to the ice will all put him on a path to being a successful playmaker at the collegiate level. Hagens has more competition than Celebrini had for the No. 1 crown at the NHL Draft, but he’s done little to dissuade the notion he’s the best of the bunch to this point.

At last spring’s U18 World Championship, Hagens set a new single-tournament record for the event with 22 points in just seven games. He also holds the record for most points in a single Under-17 Challenge with 21 points in seven games there. Hagens is also one of just nine players in the history of the NTDP to eclipse 100 points in a single season. Each of the last three American-born players who went first overall are also on that list – Patrick Kane (102), Jack Hughes (112, 116) and Auston Matthews (117).

Good afternoon,
May I interest you in some ✨James Hagens scoring four goals and two assists in one game✨ today? 😌@USAHockeyNTDP @BC_MHockey#NHLDraft2025 #USHL #USAHockey https://t.co/VZjbCE1KH6 pic.twitter.com/BIrN948lGA

— FloHockey (@FloHockey) July 10, 2024

At BC, Hagens is expected to play with Gabe Perreault (NYR), who sent the NTDP’s single-season scoring record with 132 points two years ago. On the other wing will be Ryan Leonard (WSH), another NTDP alumnus who was among the top freshmen in college hockey last season. Hagens’s job is difficult in that he has to find a way to help BC replace the scoring void left by Will Smith, who signed with the San Jose Sharks in the offseason, but he's got two of the best wingers in the NCAA to help him do it.

The expectations for Hagens are sky high as he is going to be put in a position to succeed. Each of the last two Hobey Baker awards have been won by freshmen in their NHL Draft seasons – Adam Fantilli and Celebrini. That may not be a far bar to clear considering Hagens will be challenged for that award by his own linemates, but he’s certainly capable of that kind of season. 

Logan Hensler, D, Wisconsin

Though he grew up primarily in Minnesota, Logan Hensler has familial roots in Wisconsin which drove him to commit to the Badgers. Now the 6-foot-2 right-shot defenseman has a chance to be a very high pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Hensler was teammates with Hagens the last two seasons at the NTDP, showing solid two-way capabilities highlighted by elite skating and footwork. Hensler posted 32 points in 61 games last season. He also had six points in seven games at the IIHF World Men’s Under-18 Championship while playing second-pairing minutes.

Hensler is a tremendous athlete and likely will get good playing time for the Badgers, but he is a younger, inexperienced player on a roster that is loaded with veterans. Mike Hastings is one of the most consistent winners among coaches in the NCAA, but has often done it with experience. Hensler is going to have to fight for his opportunities.

I’m not convinced he’s going to score a ton of points this year, but seeing the number of undrafted defensemen Mike Hastings has helped turn into guys that got NHL contracts makes me intrigued for what he can do with a player of Hensler’s natural talent. If things go right for the youngster and he gets the playing time needed, he could solidify himself as a potential top-15 or event top-10 pick.

Sascha Boumedienne, D, Boston University

Boumedienne will be the youngest player in college hockey this year, as he won’t turn 18 until mid January. The talented defenseman had a solid first season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms, but perhaps not the kind of season that would necessitate accelerating to enter college a year early. He might take some lumps early, but there’s no denying there is a lot of talent there.

6:42-2nd | Luke Osburn pulls @YtownPhantoms within one. Sascha Boumedienne with the dime.#StarsRise | @flohockey | @BadgerMHockey | @TerrierHockey pic.twitter.com/l63bhSt2u4

— USHL (@USHL) March 24, 2024

At this summer’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, Boumedienne didn’t exactly shine. He did not produce any points despite having solid two-way skills and scouts came away underwhelmed. The ice time at BU is going to be a little tricky as well as the Terriers boast NHL draft picks Tom Willander (VAN), Gavin McCarthy (BUF), Cole Hutson (WSH) and Aiden Celebrini (VAN). 

As a result, points may not come as easily and Boumedienne will have to show a well-rounded, versatile game that allows him to fit into a multitude of roles. 

Boumedienne has size and a smoothness to his game. He can certainly move pucks and shows good poise in his game. There were flashes of brilliance last season, but if he is going to be a high pick this year, he will have to show it consistently and hopefully get enough ice time to show what he can do. 

Cullen Potter, C/W, Arizona State University

Another accelerated prospect, Potter was supposed to be a senior in high school this year. He expressed a desire to accelerate to enter Michigan State a year early, but the Spartans did not have the roster spot available. Arizona State did, so Potter flipped to the Sun Devils and will enter as perhaps the highest-profile recruit in program history.

Potter spent last season at the National Team Development Program and led the Under-17 team in scoring with 46 points. The son of former U.S. women’s national team star Jenny Potter did not earn a call-up to the Under-18 team, as the program sometimes will do for exceptional players that can help them at the World U18 Championship. And now Potter is only the third NTDP player to accelerate out of his U18 season.

The two previous players to do it were Zach Werenski and Noah Hanifin, in the same year, no less. Both became top-10 picks. What will happen for Potter is a bit less clear than it was for those two individuals. 

BIG TIME SIGNEE 😈

The US-NTDP U17 leading scorer and top prospect in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft is officially a Sun Devil.

Get excited for Cullen Potter starting this Fall 🔱 #BeTheTradition pic.twitter.com/PL9Juq73sm

— Sun Devil Hockey (@SunDevilHockey) May 22, 2024

Unlike the two defensemen who were more physically advanced from their peers, Potter is a 5-foot-9, 160 pound forward. Additionally, the Sun Devils will be playing their first season in the NCHC, one of the toughest conferences in college hockey. It’s hard for a true freshman to go into that league, let alone a player that is younger than a true freshman.

It’s a big gamble in the draft season to go into college hockey a year early. If it pays off and Potter becomes a key player for a competitive Arizona State team, gets his points and gets scouts excited about his game, he could have a chance to go earlier in the draft.

I’m fascinated by this player as Potter is a blazing skater with clear skill. He has some tools that give him a good chance to be picked as high as the first round. And we’ll have a chance to see how he fares in his first few collegiate games as Air Force will host ASU on the opening weekend of the season with games Oct. 4 and 5, right here on FloHockey.

Dakoda Rhéaume-Mullen, D, Michigan

After two years at the NTDP, Rhéaume-Mullen is heading to a Michigan squad that is in a state of transition. That provides a lot of opportunity for the true freshman to get ice time on a blue line that lacks experience. 

Rhéaume-Mullen, the son of women's hockey icon Manon Rhéaume, is a likely Day 2 pick at the NHL Draft. He’s a 6-foot defenseman with good mobility and can make the odd play. He didn’t put up big numbers last year and was mostly a third-pairing defenseman for the U18s last season. He showed enough flashes to suggest he could be an impact player in college, but it might not be immediate.

Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State

Another NTDP player heading into college, Vansaghi had 12 goals and 23 points in 59 games last season. He was a depth player at the NTDP, but showed a good motor and can play physical enough to make his presence felt in the game. He’s a big, powerful winger at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds and he’s a right shot.

Vansaghi might have a hard time making a significant impact as a freshman on a Michigan State team with aspirations of a deep run. That said, his size, athleticism and versatility could give him a shot to be a Day 2 pick at the draft.

Re-Entry To Watch

Alexander Zetterberg, C, Boston University

There are going to be a lot of re-entry players in college hockey that are going to get a long look, but one of the ones that fascinates me most is Zetterberg. I had him ranked on FloHockey’s draft rankings last season and he did not get picked. It’s no secret why. He’s a small forward who lacks the ability to physically impact the game.

Even with that in mind, the kid scores in bunches and has some high-end skill with excellent hockey sense. He had 39 points across all international competitions for Team Sweden last year at the U18 level, including five in four games at the U18 Worlds before leaving the tournament due to injury. Zetterberg – no relation to former NHL player Henrik Zetterberg, by the way (he gets that a lot) – also produced 58 points in Sweden’s top U20 league.

I thought this was a sneaky good pickup by BU and while he might struggle early, I think he’ll be able to produce for them as a true freshman and perhaps remind scouts that he could be worth a pick this time around.

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