The Boston Bruins’ 2025 development camp is in the books, with the four-day program wrapping up Thursday with the annual prospects scrimmage.
While the Bruins’ moves in free agency this week drew a lot of negative reaction from fans and media – understandably so – there was more excitement and buzz around Warrior Ice Arena than we’ve seen for a development camp in a long time.
There was one big reason for that: James Hagens. The seventh overall pick in last weekend’s draft is the Bruins’ buzziest prospect since… Charlie McAvoy in 2016? David Pastrnak in 2014? Tyler Seguin in 2010???
So, we might as well start there, because Hagens did stand out. The 18-year-old center made a great first impression when he and 2025 second-round pick Will Moore decided to skate Monday even though they didn’t arrive at their hotel until 4 a.m. and were given the option to skip Day 1 and rest up.
On the ice, Hagens’ skating and edge work was head and shoulders above just about everyone else on the ice. It’s not just that he’s faster; it’s also how much tighter his turns are, how much quicker his cuts are, and how well he explodes out of stops and changes of direction.
Hagens’ camp wasn’t perfect, though. He didn’t bury a ton of shots during rush drills and 2-on-1s, with a lot either missing the net or getting gobbled up by goalies. He also tried some moves during 1-on-1s that didn’t work, when he probably could have just used his speed to drive wide and then dip his shoulder to get inside.
Hagens has made it known that he wants to play for the Bruins as soon as possible, but said after Thursday’s scrimmage that no decision has been made as to whether he’s going to sign now or return to Boston College for his sophomore season. He was scheduled to meet with Bruins management later in the day.
Just from talking to people around the team this week, it certainly feels like the Bruins’ preference would be to have Hagens go back to college. But again, no one is saying outright that’s what’s going to happen. Personally, I think it would be the right call. Another year of getting stronger, getting even more minutes, playing in all situations, and being relied on to score more goals would be good for him.
“It's a conversation that'll have to be had,” said Adam McQuaid, the Bruins’ player development coordinator. “It's kind of crazy to think that this time last week, the draft hadn't even happened, right? So, a lot has happened in a short period of time. You're right, we do like that he has that mindset and that goal as soon as possible. But we'll talk through it, and it's a long game, so we'll figure out what's the best path for him.”
Here are six other prospects who stood out:
Dean Letourneau
To say the 2024-25 season was a struggle for the Bruins’ 2024 first-round pick would be an understatement. You know the story by now, but to recap: Letourneau scored zero goals in 36 games as a freshman at BC. He had three assists. He started the season as a third-liner, but wound up spending most of his time centering the Eagles’ fourth line. He often played less than 10 minutes per game. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney acknowledged last week that, in hindsight, Letourneau should have played a year in the USHL before going to college.
Whether Letourneau can turn things around as a sophomore, and to what extent, remains to be seen, but there were some encouraging signs this week. He was assertive during battle drills, as well as Thursday’s scrimmage. He wasn’t afraid to use his 6-foot-7 frame and was one of the more physical players on the ice, including throwing a big reverse hit on 6-foot-6 defenseman (and future BC teammate) Kristian Kostadinski during the scrimmage that drew some oohs and ahs from the crowd. He still needs to improve his skating, but he’s a smooth puck-handler and he unleashed some shots that make you wonder how he went 0-for-34 from the field last year.
“I was really happy with Dean this week,” McQuaid said. “I think he showed how much stronger he's gotten, more physical, he's using his frame wanting to get to the net, doing things quicker. He spent the whole month here in Boston, which said a lot about his commitment level. So, I'm excited for him. I think he's excited as well.”
As McQuaid referenced, Letourneau has spent much of the summer in Boston, including a couple weeks training at Warrior leading up to development camp. Letourneau said he’s really focusing on regaining his confidence offensively.
“Mental mindset. Just trying to be more focused on my skill, trying to get my confidence back,” he said. “I feel like I kind of have as the summer’s gone on.
Just seeing more skill, more of what I’m used to, what my game is. I’ll always have that hard-checking role I was put into in my back pocket, so it won’t leave, but trying to focus on skill and getting my confidence back.”
Letourneau should also benefit from better health; he played through a broken hand early on last season and needed surgery on it in December.
Will Zellers
Zellers was originally a third-round pick of the Avalanche last year, but improved his stock a lot by leading the USHL in goals last season with 44 in 52 games. When the Bruins acquired his rights in March as part of the Charlie Coyle trade, he instantly became one of their top prospects, and his first development camp in Boston didn’t disappoint.
Zellers’ speed, stickhandling skills and high-end shot consistently stood out. After Hagens, he was probably the most exciting player to watch with the puck on his stick this week. Zellers will need to round out his game at the University of North Dakota, where he’s heading this fall, but the offensive talent is exciting.
“You can tell right away that he’s fitting right into the group,” McQuaid said. “On ice, just his natural instinct for scoring, like he doesn’t need a lot of opportunities, and he capitalizes on them. I think he’s driven that way. I’ve seen some competitive… a little edge to him. He has a little fire to him. Continuing to grow and fill out physically will be really important, but he’s a player that obviously our scouts identified and were excited to add to our group, and we’re really excited to have him.”
Chris Pelosi
Two years ago at development camp, after the Bruins drafted him in the third round in 2023, Pelosi looked scrawny. Now, you can tell he’s really put on some muscle, is growing into his 6-foot-2 frame, and is learning how to use it.
That kind of growth and development was evident just from the first half to the second half of his freshman season at Quinnipiac this past year. Before Christmas break, the two-way center had five points in 15 games. After the break, he had 19 points in 23 games.
“I think he talked about the physical growth that he had. He really, really filled out,” McQuaid said. “I was really impressed with the work that he was able to do, and I think with that added strength, he gained some confidence, being able to get to harder areas. He has a great shot. So yeah, he took great steps in his 200-foot game, but found ways to find the back of the net, which is nice to see.”
Jonathan Morello
Morello is a 2024 fifth-round pick who didn’t put up a ton of points last season (28 in 59 games while playing for Dubuque in the USHL), but the 6-foot-2 center was noticeable at both ends of the ice this week. In the offensive zone, he effectively used his size to protect pucks, extend possessions, and get to the net.
Defensively, he had a great backcheck during Thursday’s scrimmage to break up a 2-on-1 and immediately turn up ice to create a rush the other way. You could tell that he pays attention defensively and tracks back well, as he was always stapled to an opposing player on the backcheck instead of getting caught drifting towards the puck like a lot of young players.
Morello, who turns 19 later this month, is heading to Boston University this fall. His offensive ceiling might not be especially high, but you could see him be an effective checking line player right away in college, and maybe eventually in the NHL some years from now.
“Fortunately, he can play that 200-foot game, so he can plug into a bottom-six role and can also be used up the lineup as well,” McQuaid said. “He's really filled out physically. He's gotten a lot stronger. Making the jump last year to the USHL, took a little bit of time to adjust, but he really found his game as the season went along. And he does a lot of things that maybe don't just show up on the score sheet, like being able to possess pucks and just continuing to get more physical. It'll be nice to have him at BU. They have a great staff there, and they’ll do a great job with him.”
Cooper Simpson
The theme of the Bruins’ draft this year was that, for once, they actually took some swings on offensive upside instead of targeting safe, reliable, two-way guys. Simpson, their third-round pick, is a perfect example of that.
He scored 49 goals in 31 games for Shakopee High in Minnesota last year, the most in the state. You could see why this week. Similar to Zellers, he has a heck of a release and a hard, accurate shot. He also made some plays with the puck on his stick and set up teammates with some good passes, so there’s more to his offensive game than just his shot.
The rest of Simpson’s game is raw. He needs to add some muscle, too. There were a couple times this week that he got knocked off the puck a little too easily. This was a bit of a project pick, but the offensive talent is an exciting place to start. Simpson will play for Tri-City in the USHL next season before heading to North Dakota, where he could team up with Zellers, in 2026-27.
“He fit right in,” McQuaid said of Simpson. “I was impressed. Showed what he was good at. He’s got a pretty lethal shot, and his hockey sense is really good. He obviously needs to continue to fill out physically, but that's expected at his age. I told him in some of the more competitive drills, I liked his second efforts on pucks. That was one of the main things that stuck out for me, was those second efforts.”
Vashek Blanar
Five years ago, the Bruins went a bit off the board to take an offensive-minded defenseman in the second round named Mason Lohrei. That turned out to be a great pick when you compare Lohrei now to the players drafted around and ahead of him that year.
In the fourth round this year, the Bruins went even more off the board for an offensive D-man when they selected Blanar, who wasn’t even ranked by many publications. Elite Prospects had him listed under a different name, Vashek Richards. (In their defense, he just legally changed his last name in April when he turned 18.)
The reason I bring up Lohrei is because Blanar reminded me of him quite a bit this week. He has some real offensive skill, and he’s willing to try some things in transition and in the offensive zone that most young defensemen don’t have the confidence or skill to attempt. In Thursday’s scrimmage, he made a great move to spin off a defender and drive down the slot before hitting the post.
“A kid at his age that can move as well as he does at his size, and he's pretty raw, even in talking to him,” McQuaid said. “But he has good instincts as a D-man for defending, and he even admitted himself, like, ‘I haven't spent a lot of time focused on defending.’ It's been more of an offensive-minded game for him, but he's showing the willingness to want to defend, and I'm excited for him.”
Raw. Hasn’t really focused on defense. That’s why Blanar is going to be a project. He has a lot of developing to do, and it’s going to take time, but again: you can’t teach some of the offensive talent he already possesses. It’s an exciting place to start, at least.
Blanar, who was born in Colorado before moving to his parents’ home country of the Czech Republic as a kid, played in a second-tier junior league in Sweden last year, but will be moving up to the top tier, the J20 Nationell, to play for HV71 this season.