James Hagens got a small taste of the NHL last season, and now the Boston Bruins want to see what he does with a real opportunity.
The 19-year-old forward played 2 regular season games and 3 playoff games after leaving Boston College, picking up an assist in that brief look.
Hagens could open his NHL career on the wing, but Boston's long-term plan has him moving to center once he's ready.
That position is where the Bruins believe his skill and hockey sense translate into real offense, the traits that made him worth building around in the first place.
Boston selected Hagens with the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, its first top-10 selection since Dougie Hamilton went ninth overall back in 2011.
That kind of draft pedigree puts a spotlight on every shift Hagens takes in training camp this fall.
Boston finished 45-27-10 for 100 points last season, eighth overall, under head coach Marco Sturm, a roster that still has room for a young center to grow into bigger minutes.
Why Boston is in no rush to force Hagens to center
Moving a 19-year-old to center full-time before he's ready can stunt development instead of accelerating it, and Boston knows that better than most organizations.
Hagens carries a modest $975,000 cap hit, giving the Bruins plenty of flexibility to ease him in rather than throw him into a role he isn't prepared for yet.
GM Don Sweeney has built out enough center depth that there's no desperate need to rush Hagens into that spot before camp settles the pecking order.
Playing wing first lets Hagens produce without carrying full defensive zone draw responsibilities right away.
The path forward looks simple on paper. Prove it on the wing, then earn the shift to center once the coaching staff sees it's the right time.
Whether that timeline is weeks or an entire season depends entirely on how Hagens looks once real games start counting again.
Should the Bruins start James Hagens at center right away this season?
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