{"id":259,"date":"2026-05-13T20:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=259"},"modified":"2026-05-13T20:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T20:05:10","slug":"do-the-bruins-have-a-potential-no-1-center-already-on-their-roster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=259","title":{"rendered":"Do the Bruins have a potential No. 1 center already on their roster?"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span>Don Sweeney and the Bruins\u2019 top brass have plenty of work to do this summer to take another step forward next season amid an increasingly cutthroat Atlantic Division field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=257\">Looking back with appreciation on the incredible life of NBA trailblazer Jason Collins<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>As Sweeney and Cam Neely stressed last Wednesday, speed and skill appear to be the top priority for a team that couldn\u2019t keep up with the deeper and faster Sabres in the playoffs. \u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>But, as Neely admitted at TD Garden, Boston\u2019s efforts toward shifting from a retooling team into a contender are likely stuck in neutral so long as there\u2019s a glaring vacancy in the middle of the forward corps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe all, in this room, recognize we don\u2019t have a true No. 1 C,\u201d Neely said. \u201cThat\u2019s something we want to try to rectify, whether it\u2019s this offseason or those guys growing into it. But it\u2019s something we know that\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Finding a franchise center \u2014 one capable of driving play and making his presence felt on special teams \u2014 is easier said than done.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><span>Get Starting Point<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span>A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/span><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><label>Enter Email<\/label><\/p>\n<div><button>Sign Up<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>It\u2019s an organizational north star that the Bruins have been in pursuit of since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci hung up their skates in 2023. Boston\u2019s retooling status is largely rooted in the club\u2019s inability to cultivate a sustainable succession plan. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite the Bruins\u2019 hopes of Elias Lindholm being able to replicate at least some of Bergeron\u2019s two-way prowess, the 31-year-old has labored in his two years in Boston, with a lingering back injury sapping some of his skating ability.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>Pavel Zacha, fresh off a career season with 30 goals and 65 points, could function as a versatile and effective second-line center. But it\u2019s likely asking too much for him to fill a top-line role, while his struggles in the postseason (two goals in 31 games) raise some eyebrows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Bruins could try to pool picks, prospects, and other assets into a hefty trade package this summer to try to pluck established center Robert Thomas out of St. Louis. But given the low supply of true elite pivots, the asking price will be exorbitant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cEven at the trade deadline as you\u2019re exploring, whether it\u2019s this time or the summertime, you realize that when you do make a call about a player of that nature you\u2019ve just described, the guy on the other side says there\u2019s not even 32 of them in the league,\u201d Sweeney said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Trades for distressed assets or players marked with red flags such as Elias Pettersson or Mason McTavish could be a potential pivot for Sweeney and his staff if they\u2019re banking on upside and willing to invite even more risk. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>Another avenue might require more patience. But if the Bruins are willing to play the long game, could they already have potential top-line centers on their roster in Fraser Minten and James Hagens?\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Even with the expected growing pains for the 21-year-old Minten and 19-year-old Hagens, Neely believes the upside is there for both to anchor Boston\u2019s pivot pipeline for the foreseeable future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think they both have that skill set,\u201d Neely said. \u201cThey\u2019re both a little different players. One\u2019s more like Bergy as far as a 200-foot player and maybe [doesn\u2019t] see the ice as well as Hagens does.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cHagens\u2019s head is up all the time, he\u2019s constantly looking to distribute \u2026 Whether they either become No. 1 centers is up to them and how that goes for them and what the path is for them. We want to give these guys every opportunity to take a job that\u2019s staring at them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=255\">Senate confirms Trump pick Warsh as chairman of the Federal Reserve, following Powell<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>Minten, who played a full 82 games this season at center, has all the makings of a future middle-six stalwart. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Initially projected as more of a two-way, third-line center in the NHL, Minten spent a hefty portion of this season on a top line next to David Pastrnak and Marat Khusnutdinov.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>Minten\u2019s floor as a dependable 200-foot centerman is already established. If he can grow his offensive game after tallying 17 goals and 35 points in his first full NHL campaign, Boston could have a franchise fixture. <\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Fraser Minten scores his ninth goal of the season. <\/p>\n<p> pic.twitter.com\/nBc5hgsKyk<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 10, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cPeople originally described Fraser as one player,\u201d Sweeney said. \u201cWhy put a ceiling there? We\u2019ll see what he\u2019s going to do. I think you described that Bergy necessarily wasn\u2019t described as the Hall of Fame player that he became when he first started out of the gate. But that being said, we\u2019re hoping that every one of those guys hits their high side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Hagens offers higher upside in terms of a true top-line center \u2014 capable of carving up defenses and elevating his linemates. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But given his age and lack of experience, it\u2019s unrealistic to expect him to thrive as a 70-point stalwart in 2026-27.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>A start on the wing appears to still be the expected path for Hagens, before shifting him to the middle.<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p>James Hagens records his first NHL point with an assist on Henri Jokiharju&#8217;s goal \ud83d\ude4c pic.twitter.com\/UXMNb6Ag9X<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 13, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>\u201cJames will get a chance in the middle of the ice,\u201d Sweeney said. \u201cThe entry point\u2019s a little easier on the wing, as we\u2019ve always talked about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Bruins would welcome any scenario where Hagens or Minten thrives and eventually seizes a top-line role, with the other settling into a vital second-line spot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But as is the case with every young player, there\u2019s often a wide amount of variance between projected production and profiles \u2014 and what actually presents itself over a season.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><span>There\u2019s a lot to like about Hagens and Minten and how they could grow into key players. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But it remains to be seen if the Bruins\u2019 front office \u2014 looking to capitalize on any momentum seized by a brief playoff run \u2014 has the patience needed to let both youngsters grow into those critical roles.\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt sometimes has to be by committee,\u201d Sweeney said of identifying top-line centers. \u201cHopefully, you grow and you strike oil.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=253\">FDA chief\u2019s resignation widens a leadership gap at the nation\u2019s health department<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cWe all, in this room, recognize we don\u2019t have a true No. 1 C,\u201d Cam Neely admitted after Boston&#8217;s playoff exit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Do the Bruins have a potential No. 1 center already on their roster? 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