By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
The Boston Bruins have put together an impressive beginning to the 2026-2027 campaign. Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm has led Boston to a record 10-4-1 through the season’s first 15 games. A major reason behind the Bruins’ terrific start has been the play of young forwards.
Fraser Minten, Marat Khusnutdinov, and JJ Peterka have all been productive so far this season. But all three players logged significant NHL minutes coming into training camp. In contrast, James Hagens had only gotten a slight taste of pro hockey before this year.
The Bruins picked the Boston College Eagle with the seventh selection of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The forward picked up an assist in two regular season games last year and appeared in three of Boston’s six playoff games against the Buffalo Sabres.
After earning a spot in the Bruins lineup for the season opener, Hagens has proven to be a plus to Boston’s forward group. Skating in all 15 games so far, the 19-year-old forward has consistently gotten onto the score sheet.
Hagens has potted five goals and dished out six helpers. His eleven points are currently tied for first among NHL rookies with Gavin McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The big difference between the two players’ point totals is that McKenna has been a weapon on Toronto’s power play and has picked up five points on the man advantage, whereas ten of Hagens’ eleven points have come at even strength.
Even strength production is an important part of a young player’s value. Not that it is a negative to be useful on the power play, but being able to rack up goals and assists in five-on-five situations is a vital component of a player’s ability to pitch in offensively when open ice is limited. And Hagens has also shown a willingness to go to the dirty areas.
Of his five goals so far this season, none of them have been beautiful wrist shots off the rush or stupendous stick-handling displays on breakaways. Hagens has shown terrific fortitude in battling for position near the blue paint, finding the rebound, and potting the puck into the back of the net.
Oftentimes, it takes young, skilled forwards time to get comfortable in that setup. They often then settle for outside shots and keep their play near the perimeter. But Hagens has already demonstrated he is not afraid to grind away near the blue paint on the hunt for rebounds.
This will no doubt help Hagens’ development. He currently finds himself on the third line with Elias Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt. The trio has developed solid chemistry and has been consistently putting up points.
As Hagens gets more ice time and further matures his game at the NHL level, he will only get more comfortable showing off his offensive repertoire. But at this stage of his career, it is a fantastic sign for Boston that he can make a positive impact in a third line role.
It will be interesting to see how Sturm utilizes Hagens over the course of the year. It would not be surprising in the least for the rookie forward to find himself getting more reps on the power play and in a top six role as the season marches on.
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