The Boston Bruins added a potential No. 1 center to their organization Friday by selecting Boston College star James Hagens with the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
Hagens tallied 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games for the Eagles last season, earning himself a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie team. He also won a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championships as one of the United States’ top players.
Hagens is just 18 years old and won’t turn 19 until November. It would make the most sense for him to play another year at BC before considering a jump to the NHL.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was asked Friday night about Hagens’ readiness for the next level, and he didn’t commit to a timeline.
“He will come right back and join us for development camp and we’ll just incrementally have discussions about where he’s at,” Sweeney told reporters.
“There will be no hurry to try and fast-track James. I’d say that about every player. If somewhere between now and then that changes and we feel differently about it, as we’re evaluating, we may make that decision. I know he’d like to play right away. I’m sure every guy that was drafted tonight thinks they might be able to play in the National Hockey League, but we’ll allow that to take a more natural course and make the right decision for James and the organization.”
If Hagens does return to BC next season, don’t be surprised if he creates more offense for himself. Hagens is an elite playmaker, but he was a little too deferential at times as a freshman. It’s hard to fault him too much, though, considering his linemates were two fantastic goal scorers in Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.
“He’ll look to probably generate a little bit more and maybe have a shoot-first mentality at times,” Sweeney said Friday. “He had a chance to play with Ryan Leonard, who can really fire a puck. Chances are, especially as a young player, you’re going to look to make sure he has the puck in his hands at the right times. He did a really good job of that and distributing.
“But they have lost some players. It will be a good opportunity for several of our guys who are at that university to take that step. I think James will be right at the front of the line. He’ll have the hard matchups again, against the other top lines in college hockey. It will be a good test for him.”
The Bruins desperately need more high-end talent at center on their NHL roster, but achieving that objective shouldn’t come at the expense of Hagens’ development.
He has the potential to be a top-six center in Boston for a long time, and it’s extremely important for the B’s to allow that process to unfold at whatever pace is required.
