The Boston Bruins 2026-27 season continues to steadily approach, and with it, excitement surrounding the team and its future has grown considerably.
Thus far, the Bruins' biggest moves of the summer have been building depth and organizational competition, while also adding high-end talent such as JJ Peterka.
While there's a logjam up front of players looking to break through, the one Bruins fans want to see the most is James Hagens.
Hagens, 19, is Boston's seventh overall pick from the 2025 NHL Draft, and is seen as one of the top prospects in all of hockey.
Hagens destroyed college hockey this past season with Boston College, posting 23 goals and 47 points in 34 games. Then, he joined the Providence Bruins and posted one goal and four points in 6 AHL games.
Then came the moment everyone wanted, and Hagens made his NHL debut, playing two regular season games after Boston clinched their playoff spot, posting one assist.
He then played three playoff games against the Buffalo Sabres, but went pointless and was scratched for Games 4-6.
All told, it seemed like a very promising beginning for Hagens' NHL career.
Now, the way Boston's roster is constructed, there's an equal opportunity for Hagens to make the team, while the existing depth is there to potentially block him out.
Matthew Poitras requires waivers this year. Alex Steeves is a player the team likes and likely wouldn't want to risk on waivers.
So, Hagens has to earn his place, likely in the team's top-six forward core.
Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm said as much to Evan Marinofsky on the Bruins Beat podcast Thursday:
Sturm admits candidly that, in a vacuum, Hagens absolutely helps the Bruins right away in some aspects offensively, but then states that Hagens has to earn it.
That's always been the Bruins way, and in reality, the way in the NHL. Young players have to earn everything they get.
Last year, the same words were thrown around about Fraser Minten, Mason Lohrei, and Poitras.
Minten earned it and then some, shattering preconceived expectations. Lohrei had an up-and-down season while Jonathan Aspirot broke out. Poitras, meanwhile, did not make the NHL team out of camp, and only ended up playing three NHL games in 2025-26.
The Bruins' top power play unit is likely locked in. It's hard to envision a unit without David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, JJ Peterka, Charlie McAvoy, and Pavel Zacha to start the year.
The second unit, meanwhile, is wide open for Hagens to force himself into.
