The Boston Bruins announced late on Monday night that top prospect James Hagens signed an AHL amateur tryout (ATO) agreement with the Providence Bruins and will be reporting to the AHL club. When Hagens' season with Boston College came to an end, all Bruins fans were watching for him to sign his entry-level contract with the Original Six club. However, for now, he will only have an ATO with Providence. While this is the case, Hagens undoubtedly has a golden opportunity in front of him with it. After landing this tryout with Providence, Hagens now gets to show the Bruins what he can do at the AHL level. If he impresses while with Providence, it absolutely could open the door for him to land his entry-level contract with Boston before the season is over. When looking at how well Hagens performed this season with Boston College, he certainly should provide Providence with a major boost while on his ATO. The 19-year-old forward appeared in 34 games this season with BC, where he had 23 goals, 24 assists, and 47 points. With numbers like these, there is no question that the 2025 seventh-overall pick has high upside. Nevertheless, it will be fascinating to see what Hagens can do with Providence from here.
