Two weeks into free agency officially opening, and it's been rather quiet for the Boston Bruins and general manager Don Sweeney. The free agent class was not going to excite a lot of people to begin with; however, fans were expecting something a little bigger than defenseman Connor Clifton returning.
There were a couple of notable additions before and after free agency opened. Boston acquired right-wing JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for a pair of first-round draft picks right before the NHL Entry Draft last month, and they acquired defenseman Will Borgen from the New York Rangers on July 1. Unless something big happens before the season starts, there are going to be some members of the Black and Gold looking at bigger roles in 2026-27. Let's take a look at three potential candidates.
James Hagens
After the Boston College season came to an end in March, top prospect James Hagens signed a PTO to join the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) before signing his entry-level deal in April and playing at the end of the regular season after Boston clinched a postseason berth. He played the first three playoff games against the Buffalo Sabres before sitting out the final three.
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However, going forward next season, there is going to be a role for him on the team, but it's just a matter of whether or not he'll be able to take advantage of it. He has played well on the wing, but could he be an answer down the middle for second-year head coach Marco Sturm? A third-line role is not out of the question for the 2025 first-round draft pick, seventh overall.
Fraser Minten
The Bruins have yet to address the need down the middle in the top-six. They still have Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha, but upgrading from the outside is something that was seen as a possibility. It hasn't happened yet, which could open the door for Fraser Minten to fill a top-six role.
What a first season he had in 2025-26. He played in all 82 games and had 17 goals and 18 assists with a plus/minus of plus-21. He centered the third line and came up with some big goals, and was even given the assignment of taking some big face-offs late in games. If no moves are made down the middle before camp opens, look for Minten to be allowed to try to lock down a top-six center spot.
Michael DiPietro
I know, this one might seem fairly obvious, but nothing is a given in training camp. After Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the New York Rangers on July 1, the door is wide open for Michael DiPietro to be Jeremy Swayman's backup as soon as the upcoming season.
He knows that nothing is given and that he'll need to earn it, but unless something crazy happens or an injury occurs, he'll get the shot to play and likely play a lot in Boston beginning in the fall. DiPietro was very good for the Providence Bruins in the AHL and was a big reason for the success they had in the regular season.
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