The Boston Bruins waived defenseman Henri Jokiharju Sunday, finalizing their 23-man roster two days before Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Rangers. But the Bruins’ opening-night roster will include three rookies, including 19-year-old, 2025 No. 7 overall draft pick James Hagens.
Boston’s official transactions release issued Sunday sent forwards Riley Duran and Dans Locmelis to AHL Providence, directed prospect Jake Schmaltz to Providence’s camp, and placed center Matthew Poitras on injured reserve with a lower-body injury dated Sept. 22. Jokiharju is expected to clear waivers and join Providence as well.
That leaves 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goaltenders on the roster the club posted Sunday. Suspended defender Charlie McAvoy’s absence to start the year is the reason that the Boston defense corps still looks overcrowded on paper.
McAvoy’s ban stems from a suspension carried over from Boston’s first-round playoff exit against Buffalo last spring, according to NHL Trade Rumors‘ Rob Ellis. Until he returns, Will Borgen, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, Jonathan Aspirot, Mason Lohrei and Connor Clifton absorb the workload on the back end.
Jokiharju is in the second year of a three-year, $9 million contract with a $3 million cap hit, according to The Hockey News‘ Russell Macias. Waiving him clears a path for waiver-eligible blueliner Frederic Brunet, a 2022 fifth-round pick who beat him out for a roster spot. Alex Steeves and Lukas Reichel were waived and cleared Saturday, both headed to Providence.
| BOSTON BRUINS — ROSTER: FORWARDS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | # | Pos | Sh | Ht | Wt | Born / Birthplace |
| Michael Eyssimont | 81 | C | L | 6’0″ | 196 | Sep 9, 1996 • Littleton, CO, USA |
| Morgan Geekie | 39 | C | R | 6’3″ | 212 | Jul 20, 1998 • Strathclair, MB, CAN |
| James Hagens | 44 | C | L | 5’11” | 186 | Nov 3, 2006 • Hauppauge, NY, USA |
| Tanner Jeannot | 84 | LW | L | 6’2″ | 222 | May 29, 1997 • Estevan, SK, CAN |
| Mark Kastelic | 47 | C | R | 6’4″ | 231 | Mar 11, 1999 • Phoenix, AZ, USA |
| Marat Khusnutdinov | 92 | C | L | 5’10” | 189 | Jul 17, 2002 • Moscow, RUS |
| Sean Kuraly | 52 | C | L | 6’2″ | 214 | Jan 20, 1993 • Niagara Falls, NY, USA |
| Elias Lindholm | 28 | C | R | 6’1″ | 204 | Dec 2, 1994 • Boden, SWE |
| Fraser Minten | 93 | C | L | 6’2″ | 207 | Jul 5, 2004 • Vancouver, BC, CAN |
| Casey Mittelstadt | 11 | C | L | 6’1″ | 202 | Nov 22, 1998 • Eden Prairie, MN, USA |
| David Pastrnak | 88 | RW | R | 6’0″ | 199 | May 25, 1996 • Havirov, CZE |
| JJ Peterka | 10 | RW | L | 6’0″ | 184 | Jan 14, 2002 • Munich, DEU |
| Pavel Zacha | 18 | C | L | 6’4″ | 212 | Apr 6, 1997 • Brno, CZE |
| BOSTON BRUINS — ROSTER: DEFENSEMEN | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | # | Pos | Sh | Ht | Wt | Born / Birthplace |
| Jonathan Aspirot | 45 | D | L | 6’0″ | 216 | May 16, 1999 • Mascouche, QC, CAN |
| Will Borgen | 17 | D | R | 6’3″ | 200 | Dec 19, 1996 • Moorhead, MN, USA |
| Frederic Brunet | 42 | D | L | 6’3″ | 203 | Aug 21, 2003 • Gatineau, QC, CAN |
| Connor Clifton | 75 | D | R | 6’0″ | 200 | Apr 28, 1995 • Matawan, NJ, USA |
| Henri Jokiharju | 20 | D | R | 6’0″ | 194 | Jun 17, 1999 • Oulu, FIN |
| Hampus Lindholm | 27 | D | L | 6’4″ | 220 | Jan 20, 1994 • Helsingborg, SWE |
| Mason Lohrei | 6 | D | L | 6’5″ | 224 | Jan 17, 2001 • Baton Rouge, LA, USA |
| Charlie McAvoy | 73 | D | R | 6’1″ | 215 | Dec 21, 1997 • Long Beach, NY, USA |
| Nikita Zadorov | 91 | D | L | 6’7″ | 244 | Apr 16, 1995 • Moscow, RUS |
| BOSTON BRUINS — ROSTER: GOALIES | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | # | Pos | Ca | Ht | Wt | Born / Birthplace |
| Michael DiPietro | 30 | G | L | 6’1″ | 207 | Jun 9, 1999 • Windsor, ON, CAN |
| Jeremy Swayman | 1 | G | L | 6’3″ | 196 | Nov 24, 1998 • Anchorage, AK, USA |
Bruins’ James Hagens Highlights Roster Additions
Brunet is one of three rookies who made the team with little drama. Center James Hagens, Boston’s No. 7 pick in 2025 out of Boston College, earned a regular-season job after a huge showing at the Prospects Showcase, where he scored six goals in two games. He is projected to open the season on the club’s so-called Kid Line with Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.
Goaltender Michael DiPietro won the backup job behind Jeremy Swayman after Boston traded Joonas Korpisalo to the Rangers for a prospect and a 2028 fourth-round pick. DiPietro won a second straight AHL goalie of the year award last season, going 34-8-1 with a .930 save percentage for Providence.
Winger JJ Peterka, acquired from the Utah Mammoth over the summer, and free-agent signing Connor Clifton round out an offseason built more around retooling than a full remake.
David Pastrnak, fresh off a fourth straight 100-point season, was named the 28th captain in franchise history Sunday, following in the footsteps of Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron.
Boston Faces Steep Odds in Loaded Atlantic Division
Boston went 45-27-10 last season, its first under coach Marco Sturm, before Buffalo eliminated the Bruins in six games. Expectations this fall are murkier.
HockeyStats.com gives Boston a 42 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, projecting 94 points and an 11th-place finish in the East. NHL Trade Rumors projects a similar outcome with 98 points, fifth in the Atlantic and a wild-card fight the Bruins narrowly lose.
The skepticism traces to last season’s underlying numbers. Boston finished with a losing five-on-five expected-goal differential even while winning 45 games, propped up by hot shooting from Morgan Geekie and Pavel Zacha and a Vezina-caliber season from Swayman. Regression in either area could offset whatever Peterka and Hagens add on offense.
Add a division that returns Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Florida as legitimate contenders, and the Bruins look like a bubble team again. Boston has the star power to make the postseason. Whether the supporting cast holds up is the question.
Boston Bruins Announce James Hagens Decision, Final Roster Before Opener