Why Bruins' James Hagens Is Already Proving He's The Real Deal

The Boston Bruins have had a great start to the 2026-27 season. At this point in the campaign, the Bruins have a 7-2-0 record and are at the top of the Atlantic Division.

James Hagens has played a role in the Bruins' good start to the campaign. This is because the 19-year-old forward is already making a real impact early on. 

In nine games so far this season with the Bruins, Hagens has posted two goals, four assists, six points, and a plus-2 rating. He also has four points over his last five games for the Bruins, so he is certainly showing promise.

While Hagens is still in the very early stages of his NHL career, his skill level is impossible to ignore. The 2025 seventh-overall pick is already demonstrating that he has the tools to be an impactful playmaker. The way he has been setting up his teammates is very encouraging, and he is proving that he can already make an impact at the NHL level.

Due to this, Hagens is among the Bruins' top offensive contributors so far this season. He is currently tied with JJ Peterka with his six points. Only David Pastrnak, Fraser Minten, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm have more points than Hagens on the Bruins right now. With that, Hagens is already emerging as a key part of Boston's offense during the early stages of his first full NHL season.

If Hagens can continue to make a difference offensively and improve his two-way game, he could end up being a big part of Boston's top six before the season is over. It is clear that the youngster has a lot of potential, and it will be fun to see what he does next.