James Hagens stepped into Boston’s lineup and looked right at home: 1 game, 1 assist, +1, and real buzz around the 19-year-old.

The first overall pick registered his first NHL point in his only appearance so far. Marco Sturm gave him the look, and the kid delivered something to build on.

Boston sits at 44-27-10 with 98 points, fourth in the Atlantic Division. One game remains on the regular season schedule, tonight at home against New Jersey.

The Bruins went 5-3-2 over their last 10 and closed out Saturday with a 3-2 win at Columbus. Not a team in crisis. A team with a playoff spot locked down and a reason to see what the next generation can do.

And Hagens might be the most interesting part of that next generation.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reported that Revolution Athletics, the Long Island gym that trains several NHL players, runs its athletes through a conditioning gauntlet every summer.

Hagens broke the gym's all-time record when he was 16 years old. That kind of fitness baseline doesn't just show up in a testing facility. It translates.

Wheeler's clip, circulating Tuesday, showed the physical tools in real time. Not just the skating. The recovery speed between shifts, the ability to stay on pucks, the compete level through the whistle.

James Hagens could take some weight off David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha sooner than expected

David Pastrnak led the Bruins with 29 goals and 99 points in 76 games this season. Pavel Zacha poured in 30 goals and 64 points in 77 games, giving Boston two legitimate top-line threats.

But Morgan Geekie might be the most interesting story on the roster. He scored 38 goals in 80 games on a $5.5 million cap hit, a breakout that nobody outside the locker room predicted.

Hagens carries a $975,000 cap number. For a team paying Jeremy Swayman $8.25 million, Charlie McAvoy $9.5 million, and Pastrnak $11.25 million, that kind of entry-level production matters more than the box score suggests.

McAvoy anchored the blue line with 11 goals and 61 points in 68 games. Nikita Zadorov played all 80 games and carried a plus-18 rating, giving the Bruins a physical, reliable defensive pair behind him.

Fraser Minten, another young forward, played all 81 games and posted 17 goals with a +20 rating. Marat Khusnutdinov put up 15 goals in 76 games. The pipeline is producing. Hagens is just the newest, shiniest piece.

Don Sweeney built this roster knowing the cap would tighten. Having a first overall pick on an entry-level deal who can contribute right away isn't a luxury. It's the plan.

The kid can play. And Boston knows it.