James Hagens Adapts and Ryker Lee at the Top | 2025 Draft
Like last season, TSLH Prospects will publish a weekly report on the offensive performances of prospects eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. Each week, we will tour the globe to identify players performing in their respective leagues, regardless of the level. This week, we will look at the USA prospects, specially James Hagens and Ryker Lee.
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Will James Hagens Meet Expectations?
With six points in four games so far this season, one might wonder if James Hagens will remain the top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft next June. It’s not a poor production rate, but some expect more from a player identified as the best in his draft class for a few years now. Currently, with Boston College, he’s in second place in the points column behind Gabriel Perreault (seven points) and ahead of Teddy Stiga (four points) and Ryan Leonard (four points).
While Hagens is well-supported offensively, his point total may not fully reflect his impact on the games. The answer to whether it does is no. He could currently have far more points, but the top-six offense is still finding its way. The chemistry isn’t fully there yet, and some elements aren’t quite aligning. There’s too much talent here for it not to work in the medium term, so I’m not too concerned. Also, six points in four games for a 17-year-old (he turns 18 in early November) is excellent.
Ryker Lee at the Top of the USHL
With 13 points in 11 games, Ryker Lee ranks third, across all age groups, in the USHL, the top junior league in the country. The 6-foot, 181-pound right-shot player is helping the Madison Capitols secure the second place in the league’s Eastern Division with 16 points in 11 games, just behind Dubuque (18 points). It’s too early to predict his draft ranking, but projections should remain favorable if he shows consistency throughout the season.
Most of his points stem from excellent decisions with puck possession. Ryker Lee appears to have a developed offensive instinct that allows him to identify good lanes to exploit and turn a simple play into a scoring chance. However, he’ll need to work on his overall game pace and mobility, which are not particularly strong. Intelligence compensates well at the junior level, but it may not be enough at the next level.
William Moore, the Best of a Weaker USNTDP
The USA’s National U18 Development Program is usually a goldmine for NHL teams. This year, for the 2025 draft, it may not be. With Cullen Potter off to the NCAA, James Hagens and Logan Hensler ineligible due to birthdates, and LJ Mooney and Jake Murtagh out with injuries, the roster is struggling. William Moore is currently the only consistent producer, though his output isn’t stellar either.
Power forward William Moore has posted 10 points in 14 games, while the second-best scorer, Jake Murtagh, has seven points in just five games due to injury (tied with four other prospects). Things aren’t going well for the team, which even recently recruited Benjamin Kevan from the USHL (Des Moines) to provide some offensive spark in a few games. The offense will need to step up if they hope to attract scouts’ attention.
Strong Start for Luka Radivojevic
Luka Radivojevic began the season in the J20 Nationell with Orebro. After a brief stint in the SHL, the defenseman returned to Swedish junior play, only to make the jump to the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, former team of Sacha Boisvert and Matvei Gridin. The transition has gone well, as the young player has four assists in four games. The adjustment hasn’t been too difficult, despite playing in three different leagues, including a professional one, in just a month.
Radivojevic’s size—5-foot-10 and 165 pounds—will always be a challenge, but the defenseman has significant mobility and offensive creativity that will help him forge a path toward professional hockey. Moreover, the NHL runs in his blood; his father, Branko, played 399 games in the league, scoring 120 points. Let’s hope a growth spurt allows him to get closer to his father’s size, who was 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds at the end of his career.
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