Boston forward prospect James Hagens (2025 1st round, 7th overall) has signed an ATO (amateur tryout) agreement with Providence of the AHL. This leaves open the possibility that Hagens will join the Bruins later this season on an entry-level deal, although no professional contract is in place at this point.
Also, fellow Columbus prospects Cayden Lindstrom (2024 1st round, 4th overall) of Michigan State and Jackson Smith (2025 1st round, 14th overall) of Penn State will remain in college. With respect to forward prospect Lindstrom, this is not surprising. He suffered a career-threatening back injury requiring surgery and causing him to miss all of the 2024-25 regular season with Medicine Hat of the WHL. Though fully recovered, he is still finding his footing in the college game with the Spartans.
With respect to d-man Smith, this revelation is a bit more surprising. Smith excelled with the Nittany Lions this season, setting the school record for most goals in a season by a d-man (11 goals, to go with 15 assists). However, with his marked improvement on the defensive side of things, the Blue Jackets are content to allow for his continued development at the collegiate level.