Boston Hockey Now reports that James Hagens is exceeding expectations, and Marco Sturm is still preaching patience with the Bruins rookie.
Not long ago, Sturm's handling of the 20-year-old was a question around this team. Now Hagens has a +7 rating through 16 games, and the NHL Network is putting him next to Gavin McKenna in early Calder talk.
The seventh overall pick in 2025 is playing a big part in a strong start. The Bruins are 11-4-1, first in the Atlantic Division, after Monday night's 3-2 shootout win over the Golden Knights.
Hagens was tied for the top of the NHL rookie scoring list when the Bruins hosted Vegas. He now sits at 12 points on the season.
The message from the bench is consistent: take the production, but don't rush the process. Boston Hockey Now framed it as a coach who likes what he sees and refuses to hand out a bigger role just because the points are there.
Hagens doesn't sound like a player chasing headlines. Conor Ryan relayed his message about the outside noise, and it was blunt.
"That stuff doesn't matter," Hagens said, and he described the feeling of a win in front of the home crowd as "one of the best feelings in the world."
The learning curve is the real story here. Fluto Shinzawa wrote that Hagens is getting a crash course in NHL responsibility, with the headline "He's getting it."
Where Hagens fits among Boston forwards
Hagens practiced Tuesday on a line with Casey Mittelstadt and Elias Lindholm, according to Jim McBride. That's good company for a young center still learning the details.
Lindholm leads that group with 13 points. Hagens trails him by one, and Fraser Minten has 10. A 20-year-old sitting between two established centers in the scoring order says plenty about how this season has gone.
Hagens has also been open about what Lindholm has given him. His praise for Elias Lindholm last week showed a rookie who knows exactly who is helping him.
The Calder conversation is already live. NHL Media asked fans to choose between Hagens and McKenna, who has 11 points for the Maple Leafs.
Sturm's patience is the right call. Keeping Hagens next to Lindholm lets him produce without carrying the burden of a top line, and the Bruins are winning anyway.
Boston visits Pittsburgh on Thursday. We'll see whether Sturm keeps that line together and whether the patience holds if the points keep coming.
