The Boston Bruins selected Boston College standout James Hagens with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Hagens, a freshman with a point-per-game pace in Hockey East, was a top-tier talent. His selection, however, was less a bold move by GM Don Sweeney and more a case of a high-value player falling to Boston.
While Hagens is promising, the safe, uninspired choice required little risk or creativity, and Sweeney shouldn't be lauded for it. The Bruins could have pursued bolder moves to address immediate roster needs, highlighting a missed opportunity.
A Promising Prospect, But an Obvious Choice
Hagens' credentials are strong. At Boston College, he tied for 12th in Hockey East scoring, showcasing playmaking and hockey IQ. His skating and vision make him a projected top-six center with the potential to anchor an NHL line. Selecting Hagens required no creativity or trade-up maneuvering. It was an obvious choice, with Sweeney passively taking what was available.
I like James Hagens as a player, but Don Sweeney doesn't deserve too much credit for making the easy choice. A top prospect dropped to him and it was a safe choice.
— Shamus Sullivan (@shamuspsullivan) June 28, 2025
Boston's roster context makes this conservative pick questionable. Caught between contending now and building for the future, the Bruins need impact players with aging stars like David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy in their primes. Hagens, likely years away from NHL readiness, may need two more college seasons and AHL time. For a team lacking secondary scoring and depth in recent playoffs, Hagens feels like a luxury.
Trading the Pick: A Path Not Taken
Sweeney could have traded the pick for a proven NHL player, like a top-six winger, to signal a commitment to winning now. Teams like Anaheim and Buffalo considered moving their picks for established talent. Sweeney could have packaged the pick with assets to land immediate help or taken a higher-risk prospect, like a power forward, to diversify Boston's pool.
Instead, Sweeney chose the safe path. Hagens is a good bet to become a solid NHL player, but his selection doesn't address Boston's urgent needs. The prospect pool is heavy on skilled, undersized forwards, and Hagens overlaps with players like Matthew Poitras. The lack of creativity is clear given Boston's need for size or defensive depth.
Sweeney's defenders might argue passing on Hagens would have been foolish, given his talent. But great GMs shape rosters with vision. Sweeney's draft record, with hits like Jeremy Swayman offset by misses, shows a tendency to play it safe. Hagens is another example, a pick that may look fine but doesn't match Boston's current window.
James Hagens could become a cornerstone for the Bruins. But Sweeney doesn't deserve praise for the obvious choice. The seventh pick was a chance to make a bold move to help a team needing more than a long-term project. By settling for safe, Sweeney missed a chance to show the vision that separates good GMs from great ones. Fans will hope Hagens proves worth the wait, but they deserve a bigger swing now.