Hagel truly is the Lightning’s Everything Bagel
When the Lightning first traded for Brandon Hagel, two words immediately came to mind: massive overpay. Boy, were fans wrong.
Since joining the Lightning, Brandon Hagel has brought consistency and energy to a Lightning core desperate to make a splash in the playoffs. When Hagel is on the ice, he breathes fresh life into the Lightning top six. He has demonstrated a versatility that few players like Ondrej Palat, Yanni Gourde, and Alex Killorn have shown before him. If he continues his current pace, then the Lightning will be a dangerous team come playoff time.
What makes Hagel different?
Hagel is like a swiss army knife or an everything bagel, if you will. You name it, Hagel can do it. Need a guy on the power play? Boom, Brandon Hagel produces. Need a forward on the penalty kill? Boom, Hagel defends. Need a guy who can shine in overtime? Boom, Hagel is there.
Per Daily Faceoff, Hagel figures into the Lightning’s top six, top power play, and top penalty killing unit. His tenacity on the Lightning shows what makes him special: his versatility.
Brandon Hagel has an extensive resume. Before coming to Tampa, Hagel on the Chicago Blackhawks had played with the likes of top players in Seth Jones, Jonathan Toews, Alex Debrincat, and of course, Patrick Kane. Coming from a background such as Chicago, Hagel was able to see what it was like to play with top players. Once traded to Tampa, acclimating to the speed of players like Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, and of course Nikita Kucherov, was not a challenge.
Under the development of Jon Cooper, he has truly soared as a player. He has become responsible in his own zone and never quits on a play. We are currently seeing the best hockey of Hagel's career. Not only has Hagel reached career highs in assists, goals, and points during his time in Tampa per NHL.com, but he is also on pace to shatter them.
Point-Per-Game Everything Bagel
Hagel currently has 26 points in 20 games per NHL.com. He is averaging around 1.3 points a game. If Hagel continues this pace, he will reach around 107 points by the 82 game mark. Yes, you read that correctly. 107 points. No matter where Hagel is in the top six, Hagel always manages to find a way to score.
For the rest of the season, keep an eye on Hagel because he has only scratched the surface of what he is truly capable of in a Lightning sweater.