The Boston Bruins got a big shootout win over the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. After the game, however, much of the chatter on social media skewed towards a more negative question: Why was James Hagens once again "benched" late in regulation and in overtime?
It is a fair question. It also has a fair answer.
Hagens, the rookie forward who turned 20 years old on Tuesday, has exceeded even the most optimistic expectations so far this season. Simply put, he has been one of the Bruins' best players through their 11-4-1 start.
Hagens leads all NHL rookies in goals (6) and points (12). His six goals are good for second on the Bruins behind only David Pastrnak (8), while his 12 points rank third behind Pastrnak (20) and Elias Lindholm (13). Hagens is also tied for ninth among all NHLers in 5-on-5 goals (6) and tied for 12th in 5-on-5 points (11).
Hagens continued to roll Monday, scoring the game's opening goal by once again going right to the front of the net, where he buried a feed from Lindholm. His line, with Lindholm and Casey Mittelstadt, decisively won its head-to-head matchup against Jack Eichel and Vegas' top line.
Hagens finished the night with a career-high 17:27 time on ice. But, his last shift ended with 8:35 left in the game, which was tied 2-2 at the time.
So… why did Hagens stop getting shifts? Surely he could have helped the Bruins win the game, be it in regulation at 5-on-5 or in overtime at 3-on-3, a format that should suit his skillset. Instead, Bruins coach Marco Sturm kept Hagens on the bench in the final five minutes of a close game for a second straight game, and the third time in the last couple weeks. Hagens also remains without a single overtime shift across Boston's four OT games this season.
Sturm has been adamant that he is not punishing Hagens, but rather protecting him. There are still things he wants Hagens to work on and improve before he fully trusts him in such situations, something he reiterated when asked about Hagens' usage on Tuesday.
"When I feel it," Sturm said when asked how he'll know Hagens is ready to handle more. "I did it with other guys, so that's just the way it is. The other night, he turned over three pucks, and it ended up in our net. And he's good, as long as we have that conversation. And when I feel he's ready, he will be. Last game he only missed one shift. That's a win, right? So no, he's fine. He's better than we all thought he would be, and we gotta build him up. There's no rush."
Asked Sturm when he’ll know it’s time to put more on Hagens’ plate (ie late in regulation/OT):“When I feel it. … We gotta build him up. There’s no rush.”Referenced turnovers as something Hagens needs to clean up. Hagens’ 11 D-zone giveaways are tied for the most among NHL Fs https://t.co/4COqzFU7fT
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) November 3, 2026
What Sturm is referencing with the three turnovers was the shift leading up to Chicago's fourth goal on Saturday, a shift that wound up being Hagens' last of the game. The three turnovers would be a pass from the slot that got intercepted, a pass high in the offensive zone that went off a Chicago skate and got turned back up ice, and then a mishandle of a flip pass that sent Connor Bedard in alone for the goal.
A fair counterpoint would be that that goal is actually the only goal against that Hagens has been on the ice for in the last seven games. It would be disingenuous to suggest that he is making mistakes that end up in the back of the net with any kind of regularity.
However, it is also fair to highlight turnovers as something that Hagens needs to clean up. His 20 giveaways this season are third on the team behind Pastrnak (38) and Mittelstadt (21). Where those turnovers are occurring is the more concerning part. Offensive-zone turnovers while trying to make plays, which is what a lot of Pastrnak's are, are still not good, but they are a little easier to forgive. The problem for Hagens is that 11 of his giveaways have come in the defensive zone, which is tied for the most among all NHL forwards.
Those are the turnovers that are more likely to hurt, especially if they come late in a game in a pressure-packed situation. It's nothing to freak out over when it comes to Hagens. Getting pucks off the wall and out of the zone is one of the hardest things for a rookie forward to master. And remember: Hagens is a natural center who is still relatively new to playing wing.
Hagens will get better at it. His development to this point offers strong reason to believe that he can and will improve in any area he sets his mind to. And by all accounts, Hagens cares about being a reliable defensive player. But that part of his game being a bit of a weakness at the moment does help explain Sturm's usage of Hagens.
Another part of this, even if Sturm didn't mention it, could be general workload management. Hagens played 50 games last season between college, World Juniors, AHL and NHL. This year he is aiming to play 80-plus games, all of them as a 5-foot-11, 186-pound 20-year-old in the hardest league in the world. So yes, his minutes are probably going to be managed at times. Sturm did the same thing with Fraser Minten last year, and Minten was bigger and older.
While it is fair to question and criticize Sturm's approach with Hagens and other young players at times, it is also pretty indisputable that this is nothing short of a massive success story so far. Hagens is playing very well overall, arguably better than any other rookie in the league, and the Bruins are winning, currently sitting atop the Atlantic Division. So no, Hagens' usage is not a problem at the moment, even if some fans remain frustrated by it.
