Going into the 2026-27 season, the Boston Bruins are going to have a couple of their top prospects beginning the season in the NHL. James Hagens and Frederic Brunet broke camp with second-year head coach Marco Sturm.
As for other Bruins prospects, some are in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Providence Bruins, while others are returning to their college or junior teams for the upcoming season. For the first time in a long time, there are a handful of prospects that Boston fans should keep a tab on this winter, and some maybe close to being in the NHL than some think.
There would be a debate as to who the Black and Gold's top prospect is for fans to be excited about. Hannah Stuart of Bleacher Report listed one prospect for each NHL team to be hyped for this season, and Boston's is one who could be in the NHL as soon as the spring.
Dean Letourneau named Bruins' top prospect to be hyped about in 2026-27
No, Stuart didn't name Hagens as the top prospect to be hyped about this season. There is already a lot of hype surrounding him. Selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Letourneau struggled in his first college at Boston College, but last season he broke out and sent a clear message: he's going to be a factor in the Black and Gold's plans in the future.
"Boston got cooked by some pundits for drafting Dean Letourneau in the first round in 2025, but there's no reason to rehash whether they should have, since it won't change the fact that they did. What we can do is look at what Letourneau brings to the table now, and it's significantly more than it initially seemed,'' Stuart wrote.
Last season, Letourneau had 39 points in 36 games after finding the scoresheet just three times as a freshman the season before. However, if you watch Letourneau play, he brings more to the table than an offensive breakout in one year. The 6-foot-7, 20-year-old forward drives the net and is an intimidating force for head coach Greg Brown and the Eagles. This season, Brown is looking for Letourneau to be the guy who leads BC, like Hagens did last year.
"he will be the guy that everyone is looking to, to contribute and be the offensive leader on this team,'' said Brown, per Rich Thompson of MassLive.com. "I do think he is ready for that role, not only physically."
If Letourneau has the season a lot think he will, it wouldn't be surprising to see him sign following Boston College's season. If he does, he likely won't be too far from the NHL. Given the transition that Boston will be in next summer, they will need that.
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