Boston Bruins
“Everything you do, you just have to make sure you have your stick on the ice — you never know when you’re going to get it.”
Regardless of the tweaks, reshuffles, and blending that Marco Sturm has in store for his depth chart in the coming weeks, one thing will remain resolute during Bruins training camp.
James Hagens will be the greenest skater on whatever line he’s stapled to.
But not by much, at least to open camp.
Rather than slot the 19-year-old Hagens next to a seasoned veteran like Pavel Zacha or an imposing glass-eater like Tanner Jeannot, Boston’s top prospect has started his first full season of pro hockey on a line next to a pair of younger NHLers in Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov.
Together, the forward trio boasts an average age of just 21.6 years old.
But Sturm believes that line’s lack of experience is more than made up for by its pace, upside, and skill.
“I don’t mind putting young kids together, because they should bring a lot of energy,” Sturm noted. “They’re smart enough. … Why not? I think this is the time. That’s why preseason is the time to try out a few things.”
The ascension of both Minten and Khusnutdinov from promising prospects to lineup regulars was one of the more positive developments drawn from Boston’s 2025-26 campaign.
Both skaters served as valuable Swiss Army Knives in Sturm’s forward corps — submitting their best returns when playing off one another on the same line.
In the 326 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time that Minten and Khusnutdinov logged together last season, Boston outscored opponents, 18-9.
“I do believe it always helps, age-wise, when at least two [linemates] are kind of younger — because you don’t feel the pressure of maybe a veteran or some other players,” Sturm said of pairing up unseasoned skaters.
Adding another fleet-footed youngster like Hagens into that equation could unlock even greater offensive upside on that line.
Both Minten and Khusnutdinov stand to benefit from Hagens serving as the V12 engine on that line.
Hagens’s straight-line speed has already been evident through two practices — with the rookie at his best when ferrying the puck through the neutral zone and threading the biscuit into Grade-A ice off the rush.
Khusnutdinov’s own skating talents make him a useful tool for generating forechecking pressure and retrieving pucks for his linemates, while Minten’s positioning and two-way acumen make him a proper pivot for a player still learning the ropes in the D-zone in Hagens.
“He’s a $50 million man for a reason,” Hagens said of Minten. “Everything he does is outstanding. … You can learn from him. He’s so smart, and he just plays the right way.”
The continued development of Hagens, Minten, and Khusnutdinov stands as an essential goal if a retooling Bruins club wants to take another step forward in 2026-27. It’d be even better for all involved if the trio takes that collective step together on the same line.
“It’s a lot of fun being able to be out there with them,” Hagens said of skating alongside Minten and Khusnutdinov. “Everything you do, you just have to make sure you have your stick on the ice — you never know when you’re going to get it.”
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