Analyst Gives Bruins Positive Prediction On Potential James Hagens Impact originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Bruins could look to sign top prospect James Hagens for their playoff push after his college season came to an end.
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Boston selected Hagens seventh overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, and after Boston College was eliminated, many expected him to sign with the Bruins. However, no deal has been signed yet, but if he does, NHL analyst Steven Ellis of DailyFaceoff believes the top prospect could come into the Bruins lineup and make an impact.
“He’s been playing some absolutely lights-out hockey the last couple of weeks. I believe since coming back from the World Juniors, he’s only played two games without a point,” Ellis said on DailyFaceoff Live on Friday. … “What we’re seeing from him is high-end hockey sense. He’s a really good skater, he’s fluid, he can start and stop very quickly, he’s getting better at being defensively minded. He’s a really good two-way center at this point.
“We talk about sometimes a team making a “trade-deadline addition”, which is just waiting for your young guys to come up out of college. I feel like that’s something for Boston. They didn’t make a ton of moves at the deadline. Having someone like Hagens go out there, potentially playing maybe top-six if this team makes the playoffs, I could see that being a situation there.”
Hagens is coming off a stellar season at Boston College, as he recorded 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 34 games in his sophomore season. The 19-year-old was named as one of the 10 candidates to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given to the best college hockey player.
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The Bruins will return to the ice on Tuesday at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs, as Boston is holding onto a Wild Card spot.
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