Boston Bruins
“I’m not going to throw that kid in and have him fail. I don’t want to do that.”
James Hagens might be up with the Bruins, but Boston’s top prospect won’t take to the ice for Saturday’s matinee matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Speaking to reporters on Friday at Warrior Ice Arena, Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said that Hagens won’t play against Tampa as Boston tries to clinch a playoff berth against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
A win in any capacity against the Bolts would punch Boston’s ticket to the postseason after a one-year hiatus.
A skilled playmaker like Hagens could conceivably help Boston get over the finish line against Tampa, but Sturm preached patience with the 19-year-old forward.
“It’s his first time up here,” Sturm said. “[Thursday] was a very exciting day. [Friday] was the first time where, OK, this is about hockey. We could see it in practice.
“He just needs time and to get used to our system. That’s the biggest thing. I’m not going to throw that kid in and have him fail. I don’t want to do that. So he’s on the right track. That’s our next step and we will take it day by day and find the right time.”
The Bruins have three more regular-season games left on their docket, including a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday evening. A win against Tampa would conceivably open the door for Sturm to rest a few players and incorporate some younger skaters into the lineup to play out the stretch.
But Sturm did not guarantee that Hagens will play in any of those three games before the postseason begins.
“I’ve got to feel comfortable doing it,” Sturm said. “I’m trying to do the best I can to make the right decision for this team, first of all, for this organization and, of course, for James. I do want him to play, so I’m just going to take it day by day.”
During Friday’s practice, Hagens skated on a “fifth” line with a few other scratches in Alex Steeves and Lukas Reichel. Reichel was sent to Providence on Friday afternoon.
Based on Friday’s line rushes, Mikey Eyssimont will draw back into the lineup on a third line alongside Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. Hagens did earn some reps on Boston’s second power-play unit as well.
As Bruins fans await Hagens’s debut, Sturm stressed that the blue-chip prospect’s presence should also light a fire under other forwards who have been stuck in a rut over the last few months.
“I was wondering how they’re thinking, and they’re probably thinking ‘Holy Moly, there’s another guy coming up and that’s going to be a spot.’ It should motivate them,” Sturm said. “Not be like ‘Here we go again.’ No, they should fight for that spot.”
“And that’s good. That’s what we want. We’re not going to hand it to anyone. Not James, either. He has to earn it, too.”
Even if Hagens won’t be counted on to try and defeat the Bolts on Saturday, Bruins forward Morgan Geekie believes that the young forward will get his opportunity in short order.
“He’s a great player — a lot more skill than I have,” Geekie said of Hagens. He’s going to be great for a long time. When you see a player with that kind of skill come in, it speaks for itself and you don’t need to see much to know that he’s good with the puck.
“We’re happy to have him here and excited to see him get in a game, whenever that may be. Everybody’s here for him and to try to put him in the best position possible.”
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