Photo via NHL.com
Boston Bruins fans haven’t had a prospect with this much hype since defenseman Charlie McAvoy was drafted out of Boston University in 2016. You would have to go back to David Pastrnak in 2014 and Tyler Seguin in 2011 to find a forward who was as intriguing as James Hagens is. So it has been a long time. The Bruins have been at or near dead last in prospect pool rankings in recent years as well. The time is now to finally watch a young Bruins player burst onto the scene. However, fans might have to wait a little longer than expected to watch Hagens’ number 10 skate on the TD Garden ice as a Bruin.
On his latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman is not quite sure how Hagens’ negotiations will end; however, the inclination is that Monday would be a day when fans could have a better idea.
“I think Monday will get a clear indication of where this is going to go,” Friedman said. “You know, the one thing, like first of all, I don’t have any doubt about his ability long-term. And I don’t think that anybody doubts that James Hagens is anything but a great fit for them and a great player to have as part of their prospect pool and the future of the Bruins.”
“I just know that some teams get really nervous about this in the middle of a playoff race. I just know some NHL teams, they do get goofy about that. Bringing somebody in at this point in time, if you’re not 100 percent sure that they can help you. I just know sometimes feel about doing this right now when you’re in the middle of a race. I think we’ll have a clearer idea Monday where this goes.”
It is now Monday at the time of this article’s publishing, and no word yet. So naturally, after the many years of not having an exciting prospect other than maybe Matt Poitras and Mason Lohrei, Bruins’ fans are getting antsy, and some even angry, at the lack of a solution.
Maybe the reaction is somewhat justified after prospect after prospect has failed to stick on the Bruins’ roster. Many players with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, have waited for a chance to play in the NHL. Some have had a short stint, some have not. Others have never returned. This has made Bruins fans uneasy about how the Bruins develop young players.
This “saga” will end soon, and Hagens will either sign an Amateur Tryout Contract or an entry-level deal. The seventh overall draft pick in 2025 will either play in Providence for the rest of the season or in Boston during a playoff race. But for Bruins fans everywhere, it isn’t soon enough.
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