The Boston Bruins announced overnight that James Hagans has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Providence Bruins of the AHL. The news comes as a surprise considering many believed the Boston Bruins' seventh overall pick would sign an NHL entry-level contract and join an NHL club for the remainder of the season.
Hagans recently concluded his sophomore season at Boston College where he scored 47 points in 34 games and was recently named a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. BC's season ended in the Hockey East semifinals and Hagans was available to sign.
Many Boston Bruins fans are excited about the prospect of seeing the club's top prospects in an NHL game, and it's still possible for them to do so this season. However, the Bruins are making a pragmatic decision on one of the most critical parts of their future.
this #NHLB Bruins It was announced that James Hagans will sign the AHL Amateur Tryout Agreement (ATO) and report to the Providence Bruins.
📰: pic.twitter.com/xOieEXW3g2
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 24, 2026
“James is an important part of our future and this is a great opportunity for him to immediately gain experience at the professional level in Providence and continue his development while keeping all options open,” Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement released overnight.
The last part of the statement is the important part. Keeping all options open suggests the Bruins are still considering signing Hagans to an NHL entry-level contract starting this season. However, if he were signed to a contract starting this season and allowed to play in the NHL, his ELC would be burned in year one and he would leave two years before he becomes a restricted free agent.
The Boston Bruins are currently in an even more desperate playoff hunt. They hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and could even lock down one of the top three spots in the Atlantic Division with 12 games left in the regular season. However, they also almost missed the playoffs. While Hagans could help the Bruins in those efforts, it's hard to know how he will fit in with a team that has arguably overachieved all season long.
Meanwhile, the Providence Bruins are one of the best teams in the AHL. They lead the league with 47 wins with 11 games remaining in the regular season. P-The Bruins are ready for the playoffs and hungry for the Calder Trophy.
By sending Hagans to the AHL, the Bruins are allowing their top prospect to take the next step in his career rather than just keeping him on an NHL roster with a team that's been doing well this season. That said, Boston can sign Hagans to an NHL contract at any time if they think he could be useful to them.
There's always some risk involved in turning down a prospect without signing immediately. Cutter Gauthier and Isaac Howard are two recent examples of players who were not signed by drafting teams as quickly as they were drafted. Gauthier demanded a trade, and Howard threatened to return to school and become a free agent the following summer. He was later traded.
Hagans' willingness to sign an ATO for Boston shows that he is committed to the Bruins and will be ready if needed.
There's some precedent within the Bruins' own organization, and they have one of their best players.
Charlie McAvoy signed an AHL contract at the end of the 2016 college season. He appeared in four AHL games with the P-Bruins, but Boston decided they needed him for the playoffs.
They signed McAvoy to the NHL ELC, where he went straight into the playoffs, paired with Zdeno Chara, and made a positive impact, although the Bruins' playoff run was short-lived.
The Bruins and Hagans still have that option. If he goes to Providence and impresses enough, the team may have to make other considerations. They could have signed him to the ELC, which doesn't start until next season, but they didn't. This gives them a chance to still sign him and add him to the Bruins roster.
There's also an argument to be made that a bigger role for Hagans in Providence would be a better long-term strategy anyway for a team with legitimate Calder Cup aspirations.
One of McAvoy's peers, Zach Werenski, finished his college season that same year and was sent to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he helped the Cleveland Monsters win the Calder Trophy and considers that time a major learning experience. He has developed into a Norris Trophy caliber defenseman.
The Calder Cup Playoffs are definitely a tough competition. For young players, the challenge of a playoff test may be the closest thing to a Stanley Cup playoffs they'll experience anywhere. Affordable learning experiences can really help prepare players for the next step.
Hagans is an extremely talented forward who was projected as the No. 1 pick in last year's NHL draft season. Hagans' tepid performance as a freshman at Boston College, coupled with the rise of other players, caused Hagans to slip all the way to the seventh pick in the draft. The Bruins are excited to see a player like this and made the easy choice.
It was later revealed that the New York Islanders tried to trade up to get Hagans after drafting No. 1 pick Matthew Schaeffer, but Boston would not take advantage of this opportunity to sign Hagans.
The Long Island native is the fifth leading scorer in the history of the National Team Development Program. He set a single-game points record at the IIHF Under-18 World Championship. He is a two-time world junior player and won the gold medal in 2025. He was coming off his best college season, a Hobey Baker Award candidate and a likely All-American.
The Bruins have been rebuilding their shallow prospect system, and Hagans is undoubtedly the crown jewel right now.
Boston fans were probably eager to see their top prospect in the Garden sooner rather than later, and they just might have gotten that. But now Hagans has a chance to join an exceptionally strong AHL team, experience professional hockey and potentially make a deep playoff run, while giving the Bruins a chance to change their minds as things progress.
The Providence Bruins will face the Springfield Thunderbirds on the road on Wednesday before playing two games at home on Saturday and Sunday. All games will be available on FloHockey.
2026 Providence Bruins vs Springfield Thunderbirds
Watch AHL, ECHL, OHL, QMJHL, USHL and more on FloHockey
FloHockey is the streaming home for some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule for more hockey games.
Join the hockey conversation on FloHockey Social
