At the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Boston Bruins selected James Hagens with the seventh-overall pick. Hagens still being available when the Bruins were on the clock was undoubtedly a nice surprise, as he was expected to go earlier in the draft. Yet, that did not come to fruition, and the Bruins took advantage of that by picking him.
Hagens demonstrated plenty of promise during his freshman year with Boston College this past season, as he recorded 11 goals, 26 assists, 37 points, and a plus-21 rating in 37 games. With numbers like these, the 18-year-old center undoubtedly made a strong impact for the school and showed just how skilled of an offensive talent he is.
With the Bruins needing help at the center position, there were naturally some who wondered if Hagens would make the immediate jump to the NHL and join the Bruins for the 2025-26 season. However, while speaking with Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com last month, Hagens confirmed that he would spend the 2025-26 season back at Boston College and play his sophomore season with the school.
Now, during a chat with WEEI's Scott McLaughlin, Hagens dove into his decision to return to Boston College a bit more.
"It's definitely something that I talked about a lot with my family and the staff of the Bruins," Hagens said. "I'm excited and can't wait to be back, especially with the group of guys that we have... Not rushing the process. To be able to get picked by Boston and to be able to know where you are, I am just super grateful. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. There's no reason to rush anything... There's a different timeline for everyone, so I just kind of thought about what the right step in the process would be."
This is a good mindset for Hagens to possess. While the idea of jumping right into the NHL after being drafted was probably exciting to him, he should benefit from playing another season with Boston College. This will allow him the opportunity to grow his all-around game more before moving up to the NHL level.
If Hagens takes a big step forward in his development this upcoming season with Boston College, it certainly could open the door for him to get signed by the Bruins once the Eagles' campaign is over. However, whatever happens on that front, Hagens' focus right now will be playing for Boston College.
Bruins: Where Charlie McAvoy Ranks Among NHL's Top Defenders
<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins">Boston Bruins</a> defenseman Charlie McAvoy appeared in 50 games this past season for the Original Six club, where he posted seven goals, 16 assists, 23 points, and 89 hits. Unfortunately, his season came to an end in February, as he suffered a serious shoulder injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off.