James Hagens, Bruins Agree to 3-Year, Entry-Level Contract Amid NHL Playoff Push

Boston College star James Hagens is officially on track to make his Boston Bruins debut this season.

The Bruins announced Wednesday that Hagens has been signed to a three-year entry-level contract that will kick in during the 2025-26 season.

The signing will immediately burn the first year of Hagens' ELC, which comes with an annual cap hit of $975,000.

The Bruins have three games remaining in the regular season, starting with a Saturday home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hagens, selected by the Bruins with the No. 7 pick of the 2025 draft, recorded 47 points (34 goals, 23 assists) in 34 games with Boston College during his second NCAA season.

He made his professional debut on an amateur tryout agreement with the AHL's Providence Bruins on March 24, going on to record four points (one goal, three assists) in six games.

Hagens started out his career at BC as a center before transitioning to left wing during his second college season, which ended with the Eagles' loss in the Hockey East semifinals. He has also been playing as a left wing in the AHL.

He could potentially slot in on the Bruins' third line, where Boston has already been deploying two young forwards in Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.

The Bruins are on track to make the playoffs after pulling ahead in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, but they've also started the month of April on an 0-2-2 streak following consecutive overtime losses to the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes.

Calling up Hagens ahead of this final stretch could be part of the Bruins' attempt to stop the team from heading into a potential first-round matchup with the Lightning on a cold streak.

The decision to use up the first year of Hagens' ELC will impact the Bruins' salary cap calculations going forward, given that Hagens will now only be signed for the rookie minimum through the 2027-28 season.

He will also not be able to return to Providence now that he's signed his ELC, per WEEI's Scott McLaughlin.

Hagens could join the Bruins for the first time for practice on Thursday, per McLaughlin. If he makes his NHL debut Saturday, how he fares in a potential preview of Boston's first-round opponent could impact what kind of playing time he sees this postseason.