Bruins Hagen gives fans glimpse of what’s to come

When the Boston Bruins officially inked James Hagens to an NHL contract earlier this month, the expectation was that he could come in and provide a much-needed boost to the team.

In just a couple of games, Hagens has done just that. He’s been a catalyst and given fans a glimpse of what’s to come.

The clip from the Bruins’ 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night shows just what fans could expect to see from Hagens down the line. It’s not often that a 19-year-old player can come in and take over a game the way he has.

Sure, it’s just two games thus far. But the early returns are highly encouraging. Hagens has proven that he belongs in the NHL. The only question at this point is whether joining the Bruins for their playoff run is actually a good idea for his development.

Star players relish challenges

One of the things that star players relish is facing challenges. That’s precisely what Hagens is up against. He’s a star on the rise who has entered the biggest challenge of his young career. That’s why Hagens wanted the opportunity to show what he can do.

For the Bruins, it’s really a low-risk proposition. If he excels, Hagens and the club look like geniuses. If he sinks, everyone can just write it off as a prospect still needing development.

But you have to think that Hagens, with what he’s shown so far, could be that X-factor that all Stanley Cup contenders need throughout a long playoff run. Bringing Hagens into the fold now was akin to getting a boost at the trade deadline.

Indeed, Hagens will face the biggest challenge of his career against the Buffalo Sabres. Interestingly, the bulk of the Sabres squad has as much playoff experience as he does. So, it will be interesting to see just how much Hagens can exploit his skills to control the play throughout the Bruins’ first-round series.

Bruins can send message to the rest of NHL

The Bruins have flown somewhat under the radar this season. They haven’t been as public as other seasons. That’s a good thing because the expectations for the club are tempered in the media. No one is really expecting Boston to make a deep playoff run.

Unlike the Sabres, the Bruins don’t have the weight of expectations on their shoulders. That said, knocking off the Sabres would send a huge message to the rest of the NHL. It would signal that this team is built to compete.

After all, knocking off the league’s hottest team in the first round would be a major boost to Boston’s street cred.

Such a victory would also instill respect in their potential second-round opponent. The prospect of playing the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning wouldn’t seem so daunting after dispatching the Sabres.

Although, wouldn’t it be great to have a Bruins-Canadiens playoff series? That’s something that would make this current playoff format a little easier to digest.

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