bostonglobe
When the Bruins selected James Hagens with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, they envisioned a dynamic, fleet-footed offensive threat. But through 12 games, the 19-year-old rookie has played more like a bruising power forward than a perimeter playmaker. Hagens is tied for the NHL rookie scoring lead with four goals and five assists, sharing the top spot with Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg. His third-period goal in Saturday's 6-4 win over San Jose—a gritty rebound jammed home from the blue paint—offered further evidence that his offensive repertoire is deeper than initially expected.
"That was something right away we noticed—this is not college anymore," coach Marco Sturm said of Hagens's scoring approach. "I think he realized pretty soon, and we're pushing him pretty hard, getting more to the paint, more to the inside. That's where you score the goals, so good for him that he realized that."
At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, Hagens may not resemble Cam Neely, but three of his four goals have come from within seven feet of the net, per NHL tracking data. The lone exception was a banked-in goal from behind the net against Ottawa on Oct. 5. Hagens also leads all NHL forwards with 16 blocked shots, further underscoring his willingness to pay the price.
"It's not easy to score in this league," Hagens said. "I just feel like if you keep going to the net, hopefully good things will happen. It's crazy how loud the crowd was tonight. It was a super cool feeling. That's something that I will be able to remember for the rest of my career and the rest of my life."
Shutting Down Celebrini
While the Bruins struggled away from five-on-five play—all four San Jose goals came via two power-play tallies, one shorthanded strike, and one at four-on-four—they were dominant when the teams were at even strength. Boston outscored San Jose 4-0 and held an 18-4 edge in high-danger scoring chances over 41 minutes of five-on-five play. Neutralizing San Jose's top line, anchored by superstar center Macklin Celebrini, is no small task, but Sturm appears to have found a effective shutdown trio in Hagens, Elias Lindholm, and Casey Mittelstadt. In 7:16 of five-on-five ice time against Celebrini, that group outscored the Sharks 2-0 and held a 10-2 advantage in high-danger chances.
Mittelstadt credited Lindholm's defensive acumen, noting that the veteran has found a second wind after being pushed down the depth chart to third-line center. In eight games since joining Hagens and Mittelstadt, Lindholm has recorded 8 points and frequently tilted the ice in Boston's favor at five-on-five. "Lindy does a heck of a job in all three zones," Mittelstadt said. "Me and [Hagens] are there to support him and help him when he needs it. But thankfully, I don't think he needs it that often."
Hard Work Paying Off
Mittelstadt's increased pace has been noticeable this season, with the 27-year-old forward's refined board work now complemented by a renewed ability to win foot races to pucks. He prioritized skating in the offseason, and fittingly scored his 100th career goal on Saturday after a frantic forechecking shift. "He always had good hands, and [his] brain, but I think he worked on it over the summer—the skating part. You can see it already," Sturm said. "I think he's quicker, he's faster, and he's been rock solid all year long."
Originally reported by bostonglobe.