At the trade deadline back in March, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney had a fire sale of key players that netted some very good returns. You can make the case that Sweeney fleeced the Colorado Avalanche when Boston sent Charlie Coyle to the Avs for Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers, and a second-round draft pick. The fleeced was confirmed this past weekend when Coyle was traded from Colorado to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Part of the return for the Bruins was Zellers, who quickly rose to the top of the Black and Gold's prospect pool. A lot of Boston's prospects are currently in town for the annual Bruins Development Camp, and joining Zellers are recent draft picks from over the weekend in the 2025 Entry Draft in Los Angeles. Meeting with the media, Zellers touched on many topics, incuding first-round draft pick James Hagens.
Bruins prospect Will Zellers has a take on James Hagens that will excite Boston fans
Zellers spoke to the media and said that he couldn't believe that Hagens fell to the Bruins at No. 7, and honestly, a lot of fans and analysts would agree with him. He also said that he believes that Hagens will be the steal of the draft when the draft is looked back on in 10-15 years. If that is the case, then the Bruins will be in good shape.
Will Zellers on James Hagens falling to the Bruins at No. 7:
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) June 30, 2025
"I was pretty pumped. ... I can't believe he fell to seven. I think he's probably gonna be the steal of the draft when we look back in 10-15 years."
Hagens will likely head back to Boston College for another season before he signs with Boston, but aside from Zellers, a lot of returns in terms of grades for not only the first-round, but the whole draft have been very good, something that rarely can be said under Sweeney's tenure.
It would not be surprising to see Hagens and Zellers at the top of the Bruins' prospects rankings when the time comes, but one thing is for sure: Zellers' comment should excite Boston fans for the future at center.