It's almost surprising that Don Sweeney hasn't dipped into the NCAA free agent pool yet, but the Boston Bruins might be playing the long game with some of the top candidates. Not to mention, depending on the results of this upcoming weekend, the organization could be getting some of its drafted prospects ready to sign out of college, namely James Hagens and Andre Gasseau from Boston College.
While the Eagles need to win the Hockey East tournament this upcoming weekend to get a chance at the NCAA Tournament, the Michigan Wolverines are already set to be in the tournament thanks to their current #1 ranking in the NPI, and a looming Big Ten Championship game against rival Ohio State to further add to their resume.
As the Wolverines continue to succeed, the name TJ Hughes is increasingly being mentioned as a free agent. Hughes is an undrafted player who worked his way up from the Alberta Junior Hockey League to 172 points in 152 career college games. He was an offensive force in the AJHL, and that hasn't slowed down in four years at Michigan, recording 36+ points in each of his seasons, while already tallying 50 this year with a possible tournament run still to come.
TJ Hughes makes it 6-1 Michigan with this nasty goal.
— EVERYTHING COLLEGE HOCKEY (@TeamECH) November 15, 2025
Michigan is good 😳
pic.twitter.com/xDJRQvyunS
Hughes spoke recently with RG's Marco D'Amico about being a Montreal Canadiens fan and his chemistry with Michael Hage at Michigan, a Canadiens prospect. While it'd be unfortunate to see him go to the rivals, the path to the NHL is much murkier in that organization, while the Bruins are consistently in the market for an offensive player that can add to the talent in the forward group.
Hughes is a bit undersized compared to the roster that Sweeney is trying to build, which largely factored in his being undrafted when he was 18. However, he is now a mature 24-year-old, ready to step into the pro game. He has silenced all the doubters in his four-year run at Michigan, and he is now largely considered the top free agent from this graduating NCAA class.
When the Bruins made some additional roster room by trading two AHL prospects for an enforcer, some fans scratched their heads. However, it seemed like a move to make some room under the 50-contract limit to sign some players before the year ended. Hagens and Gasseau were two names to circle, but one has to wonder if Sweeney has a player like Hughes on the line.