Elliotte Friedman hints at James Hagens’ signing decision coming soon as Boston Bruins face a big call

As the Boston Bruins are facing an unexpected decision regarding signing one of the top prospect James Hagens, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has just dropped a hint at the possible decision about the young player's potential signing. The Insider has added a twist to the signing and said that the league will have a clear indication of the situation on Monday.

As per reports, Hagens, who is the Bruins' seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has completed his college season with Boston College and is widely expected to turn professional soon. However, Friedman reported that Boston may hesitate to bring him into the NHL roster immediately due to concerns about disrupting team chemistry during the playoff race.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins stands at the fourth place. Before the Bruins, prominent NHL clubs like the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Montreal Canadiens are leading the first three positions. The Boston Bruins continue to stand firmly in the Atlantic Division playoff race as the regular season enters its final stretch of the playoff race.

Elliotte Friedman drops major hints on Boston Bruins’ next move for prospect James Hagens

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman has recently dropped a major hint on the Boston Bruins’ next move for their prospect James Hagens. As the Boston College hockey team locked horns in the Hockey East semifinals against UConn on Friday night at the TD Garden, all eyes turned to the James Hagens watch for the Boston Bruins.

With reports of good performance and playmaking skills, Hagens seems to be a promising player and has done very well in college hockey. However, it is only a matter of time before he becomes a professional player for two possible places. Reports suggest that he could either land on the main team in the NHL or join the Providence Bruins in the AHL.


On his latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman said he has no doubt about Hagens’ capabilities and talent, calling him a key part of their prospect pool, and the decision is expected to be out by Monday. "I think Monday will get a clear indication of where this is going to go,'' the expert said.

He further added about Hagens being a promising player and would be a great fit for the team, " 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.”

Friedman further stated that he is not sure if the Bruins will add him to the main hockey league or put him in the AHL, as he has seen many teams getting nervous in the middle of a playoff race to add a new player to their roster.

The Insider believes that if GM Don Sweeney could bring Lukas Reichel in the middle of a playoff race, they could add Hagens too, and this will not hurt the team's good chemistry that the Boston Bruins are currently worried about. However, if the Bruins add Hagens to their main team, they are expected to bring him into the professional game soon, potentially as early as next season.

Meanwhile, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney has not taken any risk amid the playoffs and finally announced that the Bruins have signed forward James Hagens to an AHL amateur tryout agreement (ATO). The player will join the Providence Bruins for their team practice on Tuesday.