It might be time to see what the Boston Bruins really have in James Hagens. He's on pace for 30 goals and 30 assists this season, which would be a massive win for the organization after all the talk around the rookie last season. We also know that he can generate points on the wing with two forwards who aren't exactly offensive juggernauts.
The point is that while Hagens is performing well on the third-line wing, the Bruins drafted him to hopefully be a No. 1 center. They don't need to put him in that role right now with Fraser Minten's ability to play with David Pastrnak, but two straight losses and a date with one of the league's worst teams, the Chicago Blackhawks, might be the time for a line shuffle that moves him to center.
The line of Minten, Pastrnak, and Marat Khusnutdinov that played together in the third period of Thursday's loss can stay together if needed, or Marco Sturm could replace Khusnutdinov with JJ Peterka there and give the second line a bit of defensive responsibility. Would a line of Hagens, Khusnutdinov, and Morgan Geekie work to get the former 30-goal scorer out of his scoring slump?
Whatever is ailing Pavel Zacha is keeping him from being productive, and in the past, a move to the wing has kick-started his game. We've seen him succeed with Casey Mittelstadt last season, and a third line of Zacha, Mittelstadt, and Elias Lindholm could make sense as a shutdown trio that can also contribute on offense.
James Hagens could need to play center soon regardless
The elephant in the room is that the Bruins may have to ship Zacha out at some point this season. While the two parties are still trying to get something done, it's increasingly likely they won't sign a contract extension. If Boston wants to remain in contention while also trading Zacha, they'll have to see whether Hagens and Minten can handle top-six duties at center.
With the Dylan Larkin "sweepstakes" potentially nearing completion, the Bruins remain off of his trade list. Unless there is a sudden change of heart, it doesn't look like the team's top-six group will be getting any help from the Olympic gold medalist, which makes Hagens and Minten even more important.
Truthfully, I'd rather see Hagens prove he can play top-six center than bring in Larkin for the remainder of his contract. If the Bruins brought in Larkin, that would all but force Hagens to the wing for at least the next four seasons, and by then, you might've missed the chance to make him a center.
The Bruins mustn't panic with this two-game losing streak. They need to trust the young guys who got them this far this season and give them even more responsibility until the veterans start pulling their weight. I think that starts with moving Hagens up.
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