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Boston Bruins forward James Hagens is competing for an NHL roster spot and has already turned heads. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

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Hagens Path to Bruins Roster Spot

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brandon Share-Cohen | Last updated Sep 18, 2026 3:35 PM ET

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The 2026-27 NHL regular season is right around the corner, meaning players are starting to report to their respective training camps. Prior to the first practice of training camp, though, the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres held a two-game Prospect Showcase. Bruins’ seventh-overall selection James Hagens turned some heads during the event, including those of the team’s coaching staff and management.

Immediately making an impact, Hagens scored two goals in the Bruins’ first game of the Showcase. He followed that up with an even more impressive performance in Game 2, scoring another four goals and giving him six goals in just two games.

It’s easy to downplay impressive performances at this time of year, particularly when they come in a prospect game rather than against established NHL talent. That doesn’t make Hagens’ six goals in two games any less notable. Expectations were already high for the seventh-overall pick entering his first full professional season, and his performance at the Showcase only added to the attention surrounding him as he competes for a full-time roster spot.

Hagens’ Performance Didn’t Go Unnoticed

Fortunately for Hagens, his efforts didn’t go unnoticed. When asked about Hagens’ bid to earn a roster spot with the Bruins, head coach Marco Sturm mentioned that scoring four goals might help in that endeavor. General manager Don Sweeney chimed in and simply noted that it was actually six total goals.

“I was so happy. I’m glad he played in that tournament,” said Sturm to reporters on Wednesday. “I’ve seen in the past with some other guys that I had; it’s a great opportunity to shine, and he did. It gives him a little bit of a head start.”

Both Sweeney and Sturm noted that Hagens worked extremely hard this summer and that he just needs to be himself to have the best chance of making the roster. Hagens began his professional career with Providence last season, appearing in six games and recording one goal and four points before skating in two regular season games to close out the season. He recorded one assist in those games and played in three postseason contests before being scratched for the remaining four games of the Bruins’ playoff run.

Now with a full training camp ahead of him, Hagens is competing for an opportunity to make the roster on a full-time basis and prove that he’s right where he belongs. There’s nothing wrong with players needing extra time in the AHL to refine their game, but for the most part Hagens looked right at home in his NHL audition last season. He looked especially comfortable alongside fellow up-and-coming players Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, a line that the Bruins kept together during their first practice of training camp on Thursday.

Center Competition Will Push Hagens to the Wing to Start

In the long run, Hagens projects as a top-six NHL center. For now, though, the Bruins are keeping him on the wing and allowing him to ease his way into NHL responsibility. It’s also a tricky situation to navigate with so many primary centers on the NHL roster. With Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, Minten and Casey Mittelstadt all capable of playing center, there’s a logjam of players fighting for minutes down the middle.

Realistically, Mittelstadt’s long-term home on the Bruins will likely remain on the wing. With Morgan Geekie, David Pastrnak and JJ Peterka also in the picture as top-six wingers, Zacha is the most obvious choice to handle one of the top-six center spots out of training camp. Matt Poitras, who recently signed a one-year, two-way contract, also has a chance to work his way into the top nine, giving the Bruins another internal option for those middle-six minutes. Sweeney mentioned that Poitras requiring waivers to be sent down to the AHL means he’ll likely get “a longer test drive in the NHL.“

This creates an even tougher path for Hagens. Even if he isn’t competing directly with every one of those players for the same position, each player involved takes away another potential spot in the lineup.

The Boston Bruins should be playing James Hagens at center next season to best utilize his skillset. (Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images)

Lindholm has been the center between Geekie and Pastrnak in the past, and this was also the trio that skated together at the top of the team’s Group A lineup despite Lindholm’s struggles and lingering back issues. If that remains the case, Minten and Hagens would likely remain together on the third line, with one of them playing on the wing. Minten has shown why he deserves to play center for the Bruins and even earned a long-term contract extension after a strong rookie season, making Hagens the more likely candidate to move to the wing to start the season. Even if the team opts to shake things up, Lindholm could be the player moved to the third line, allowing Minten to take his spot higher in the lineup.

Simply put, there isn’t an obvious center spot available on the roster for Hagens right now, barring any unforeseen injuries. Despite this, he should continue to work hard and do whatever’s asked of him because when opportunity knocks, he’ll be one of the first in line to answer the door.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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