What to expect from James Hagens ahead of his NHL debut
These are exciting times for Boston Bruins fans. The team has earned points in eight of their last ten games to virtually lock up a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has had another excellent year and could garner at least some votes for the Vezina Trophy. And now, top forward prospect James Hagens is set to join the lineup in time to provide an offensive jolt for the postseason.
On April 8th, Boston signed Hagens to a three-year, entry-level contract. The seventh overall pick in the 2025 Draft has already put up a goal and three assists for four points in six games for the AHL’s Providence Bruins as part of an amateur tryout agreement (ATO), and he just notched 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points over 34 games in his second collegiate season with Boston College. Bruins fans know about his pedigree, and they hear the hype, but what exactly can he bring to a Boston team hoping for a surprise postseason run.
On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton were joined by Daily Faceoff’s prospect analyst Steven Ellis to discuss how Hagens can immediately contribute in the NHL.
Carter Hutton: The Bruins with James Hagens, what’s your take on him? They’ve called him up. What is he going to do, how is he going to impact this team, and is he ready for the jump to the NHL?
Steven Ellis: I like the idea of throwing him in there. Going from college to the AHL is a pretty big jump, but he looked very good. I got to watch a few of those games that he played in Providence, and it felt like he really adjusted himself very nicely for a guy that is not going to be a massive goal scorer. For him, it’s going to be more about making smart plays, being a good two-way player, outthinking opponents, and that’s something that I think we saw already in the AHL, he looked really good.
He does play a lot on the perimeter, I think that is something he is going to have to adjust if he’s going to be successful in the NHL. He’s going to have to figure out how to play with a bit more muscle. He has gotten a little stronger the last couple years, so there is that going for him. If he can figure out how to really exploit the middle of the ice and get the puck where it needs to be, he’s going to be in really good shape.
You can catch the full discussion and the rest of Friday’s episode here…