Chicken McSplitz

Bruins Blog #07 – James Hagens Signs a PTO with the Providence Bruins James Hagens will start his professional hockey career with the Providence Bruins this week. The 19-year-old (who turns 20 next November) signed an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Boston Bruins and will report to Providence instead of returning to college classes in Chestnut Hill. His first professional game could come as soon as Wednesday in Springfield or Friday in Providence against Bridgeport. All TBD. I assume Hagens will sign a three-year entry-level contract before the NHL regular season ends and will get at least one NHL game. No insider info, just a gut feeling. This would burn a year off the contract and allow him to reach restricted free agency as a 21-year-old, giving him a shot at a higher salary. About two months ago, I was told Hagens would not return to BC, but that was all I could get (#insiderrr). I don’t have any inside information right now, but I’ll predict this: if the Bruins clinch a playoff spot before the end of the regular season, we’ll see Hagens playing in Boston to find out whether his skill can make a difference on a team desperate for secondary scoring. Background on Hagens Hagens was drafted as a center, but played most of this season at Boston College as a left wing. What was initially seen as a step back turned into a breakout: he excelled as a scorer, won the Hockey East scoring title and a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as College Hockey’s best player. From my perspective, his playmaking and skating are NHL-ready. However, his size and decision-making against tight defensive NHL structures could limit his immediate impact with the Bruins this year. I believe it’s a fluid situation that will eventually result in him getting a game or two in Boston and the Bruins making the playoffs, hopefully. All the focus really turns to next season as the Bruins could have a top-10 pick to build for the long-term future with Hagens or trade it for immediate help around the core of Pastrnak, McAvoy and Swayman. Last Thought The amount of conjecture on Bruins Twitter about what Hagens wants or expects from the Bruins continues to be pure clickbait in my opinion. If Don Sweeney were more astute with the local media, he would have leaked the Hagens signing to the Bruins beat writers himself. Instead, Bruins management allows uncertain and negative discourse that turns into engagement farming. Not really sure why they keep taking these beatings when there’s so much competition for fandom in the crowded Boston sports market. This is a disconnect that Bruins management should pay more attention to in my opinion.