Don Sweeney may not get enough credit for what Boston Bruins fans saw in Sunday night's win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. James Hagens finally made his debut against the Blue Jackets, a top prospect that the Bruins wouldn't have if Sweeney didn't make the bold move to tear the team down at last year's trade deadline. Featured on a line with him were two other rookies, Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov, who were acquisitions in that teardown.
The additions from that deadline will continue to arrive over the next 2-5 years, but Sunday night certainly made it look like the future is now for the Bruins' new kid line. While some worried about whether they could handle the pressure as three rookies, the group looked like they could hold their own with the proper matchups through the rest of this season.
Here's how the Khusnutdinov-Minten-Hagens line performed at 5v5 tonight:
— Tom Calautti (@TCalauttis) April 13, 2026
Shot Attempts: 10-8
Shots: 4-3
xGoals: .4-.2
Scoring Chances: 5-3
High-Danger Chances: 2-1
Good showing for the new 'Kid Line' in their first game together #NHLBruins
Ironically, Hagens' first career point came on an offensive-zone possession with Mark Kastelic and Sean Kuraly, but his regular line also performed well on their opportunities. Head coach Marco Sturm was very reserved about his expectations for Hagens coming into the game, but he had the group on the ice with 1:45 remaining and clinging to a one-goal lead. In just one game, they earned their coach's trust.
Sturm on why he decided to put Hagens out there late in the game:
— Bridgette Proulx (@bridgetteproulx) April 13, 2026
"Why? It's because he gave me a reason for it. So it's not just because of his name and he's a high pick. No, I put him out there because I trusted him and the whole line did a great job, so they deserved to be…
It'll be interesting to see whether the group can stick together or if there will be a regression as we enter the playoffs. If Sturm commits to matching the fourth line against the middle-six and deploys Hagens' line against the other team's fourth at five-on-five, it could be a matchup the Bruins win. With Hagens playing in that role, along with some powerplay time, there's more than enough reason to keep him in the lineup.
It isn't as if Sunday's game was a throwaway. The Blue Jackets were playing for their postseason lives, and the kid line was a big reason why they aren't going to finish their improbable run under Rick Bowness. While it added fuel to the fire that Hagens should've been in the lineup earlier, it also helped Sturm's case that he wanted to put the rookie in the lineup at the right time.
Marco Sturm to NESN on James Hagens' debut:
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) April 13, 2026
"I thought he played great. I thought he didn't make any mistakes. I also liked his linemates. I thought all three of them connected very well." pic.twitter.com/I4qcNOa7kw
Sunday night's performance was even more impressive given the fact that some of the team's top players didn't play. Once Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson are back in the lineup to reunite the dangerous second line, the Bruins suddenly look like a deep team for the postseason. As long as the kid line and the fourth line continue to give the Bruins good minutes as they did on Sunday, Boston has to be excited for the playoff opportunity.