BOSTON — The Bruins began their shortened preseason slate Sunday night against Washington with the first of four contests prior to the official puck drop on the 2026-27 campaign.
Here are a few takeaways from the game, which Boston captured in a 3-2 shootout:
1. Hagens, top line look good
More than any other player wearing a Black-and-Gold sweater, fans wanted to see what 19-year-old wunderkind James Hagens looked like after getting a taste of the pro game late last season.
Hagens sent the locals home happy after scoring the only goal of the shootout on a nifty deke and backhand tuck through the legs of Capitals goalie Logan Thompson.
No. 44 certainly did not look out of place skating first line left wing on this night, drawing palpable ‘oohs’ from the crowd when he touched the puck in the offensive zone. Hagens created a few scoring chances for himself, putting three shots on net in 20 minutes of ice time, and had evident chemistry skating with center Fraser Minten and right wing Marat Khusnutdinov.
Hagens also played the right point on the team’s top power play unit next to No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy, with Alex Steeves, Minten and Khusnutdinov up front.
It would not be surprising to see head coach Marco Sturm the 19-year-old Hagens alongside the 21-year-old Minten and 23-year-old Khusnutdinov as a line paring during the regular season.
Hagens, who netted six goals in two games at the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo a week ago (including 4 in one game), has come to camp with a noticeably improved and harder shot. He’s almost certainly going to stick in Boston; how much and where in the lineup he plays will be dictated by how well he performs and the responsibility level he’ll be given.
2. DiPietro gets the ‘W’
Ticketed to be Jeremy Swayman’s backup in 2026-27 after Joonas Korpisalo was traded to the Rangers over the summer, Michael DiPietro played all 65 minutes Sunday against Washington.
DiPietro looked sharp and engaged throughout while allowing just two goals on 31 shots: one when Jonny Brodzinski potted a goal just as a full 2-minute 5-on-3 disadvantage ended, and again five-and-a-half minutes into the third period when his teammates couldn’t clear the puck from a scramble out front and Ivan Miroshnichenko poked home.
“I felt good,” DiPietro said after the game. “Obviously the nerves were there, but I just try to be comfortable and manage it.”
Asked his opinions on preseason shootouts, the affable DiPietro laughed and said, “I just like winning games; it doesn’t matter how.”
Having played just four games in his NHL career — three in Vancouver and a 6-minute stint last season in Boston in the game following the Olympic break — DiPietro should get 25-30 starts with the Bruins this winter.
3. Schmaltz scores
Fourth line center Jake Schmaltz, who is almost certainly headed back to AHL Providence for his second full season there before training camp breaks, made a heads-up hockey play to score Boston’s first goal of the preseason.
With linemate Riley Duran digging for the puck in the corner to the left of Washington goaltender Logan Thompson, Schmaltz — a Bruins’ seventh round pick (192nd overall) in the 2019 Entry Draft — drove towards the net, anticipating a pass. The 25-year-old pivot got one from Duran just outside the blue paint, and Schmaltz had his stick down and snapped off a quick shot to beat the netminder.
At 6-foot-2 and 191 pounds, the Wisconsin native can play a checking role but is also capable of chipping in offensively, as he did not only with the P-Bruins (9-14-23 in 64 games) last year but in his previous stops with Green Bay of the USHL and at the University of North Dakota.
4. Weeding out the glut on defense
The Bruins have up to 10 NHL-caliber defensemen on their roster at this point. Even with McAvoy set to miss the first six games of the season with a suspension he was handed following last spring’s Game 6 playoff ouster vs. Buffalo, that leaves nine players for only seven active D-slots … one of which will be short term once McAvoy returns October 13 in San Jose.
McAvoy played alongside rookie Frederic Brunet Sunday, with Haverhill’s Jordan Harris paired with Henri Jokiharju and Jonathan Aspirot and Mason Lohrei also teaming up.
Newcomer Will Borgen, acquired from the Rangers in another summer trade, will likely make his debut Tuesday night vs. Philadelphia back at the Garden. Connor Clifton, back for his second stint with the B’s, likely will too, as could veterans Hampus Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.
Could the Bruins trade someone (Zadorov? Lohrei?) before the opener vs. the Rangers next Tuesday? Are a few guys ticketed to Providence, or put on waivers? It’ll be interesting to see how things play out.