How Brandon Hagel Got His Groove Back
The Lightning winger looks much more comfortable in Tampa Bay this season
Last season, Tampa Bay’s decision to flip two first-rounders for Chicago Blackhawks winger Brandon Hagel was widely considered a flop. He mustered just 13 points in 45 games for the Lightning (regular season and playoffs combined) and never seemed to settle into his new surroundings.
What a difference a year makes:
The 24-year-old looks dialed in and dangerous almost every night. Moreover, head coach Jon Cooper clearly trusts him, sliding him up and down the lineup depending on what his club requires at any given moment.
In essence, this dud has become a staple in the top six. Here’s how Hagel has bounced back in 2022-23.
Dog on a Bone
Most slumping forwards would tweak their game in search of better outcomes. Following a rough first year in Tampa Bay, Hagel instead doubled down on his identity.
He decided to just…hustle his way out of his funk.
This is never more apparent than in puck pursuit, where the fourth-year forward has gone from speedy to relentless. There may not be a Lightning player who covers more ground than Hagel. On the strength of his wheels and determination, he’s now an absolute demon on the forecheck:
Hagel does a great job of tailoring his approach to the situation too. If any of the puck is exposed, he’ll whip his stick in to pry it loose. If it isn’t, he’ll whack at his opponent’s twig over and over again—legally, of course—to either flush them into his teammates or slow them down enough to wrestle back inside leverage.
No matter the method, his motor is perpetually running on overdrive. And it’s generated great results:
Among all NHL forwards who have logged 700+ minutes at 5-on-5 this season, he ranks third in takeaways.
Thanks to his knack for regaining possession, his five-man unit is also third on the Lightning in:
Shot attempt rate.
Scoring chance rate.
High-danger scoring chance rate.
Expected goal rate.
His pace and tenacity are pivotal to a top six that occasionally slips into listless stretches. It still does at times, but more often than not, he drags them into the fight through sheer force of will.
Push and Pull
You don’t pony up two-first rounders for role players, though. Hagel was acquired as an additional scoring threat, and he failed spectacularly in that regard last season (6 goals in 45 games).
Well, he’s turned a new leaf in 2022-23. And no, it doesn’t boil down to playing with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. That certainly helps, but he’s developed a stronger read on how to maximize his value on the attack. He appears to grasp his role and is embracing it to the hilt.
It’s not sniping. It’s all about spacing:
Notice how Hagel alternates between crease-crashing and flaring out to the side of the net. Based on whom and where the puck-carrier is, he’ll choose to either create chaos in the deep slot or slide away from it to present teammates with an attractive passing lane.
He does get manhandled down low, but that facilitates the Lightning’s fluid and incisive puck movement nonetheless. Since he commands so much attention in the trenches, they have more room to breathe and more seams to exploit.
Playing tighter to the blue paint—especially when Kucherov’s on the ice—has jolted Hagel’s offense back to life.
Have a look at his individual metrics (per 60 minutes):
Scoring chances: 6.61 —> 9.34
High-danger chances: 3.87 —> 4.67
Expected goals: 0.57 —> 0.85
Actual goals: 0.23 —> 0.90
All in all, he’s sitting on 27 goals and 59 points in 72 contests. His scoring rate has roughly tripled from his performance last season. When you’re blessed with world-class linemates, it clearly pays to make yourself available in the dirty areas.
Hold Fast
Thankfully for the Lightning, Hagel’s tendency to stick his nose in the thick of the action applies to defense as well.
With that said, no one should mistake him for a Selke candidate. Rather than staying in sound position and smothering puck-carriers, he’s more of a stumbling block. A wrench that’s hurled toward your plans at the last second.
Despite a slender frame for his size (6’2”, 179 lbs), he simply knows how to get in your way:
Again, his stick work and tracking stand out. Hagel continually has a bead on the puck. Furthermore, he’s a nimble skater who travels well laterally to obstruct shooting lanes. Perhaps most importantly, he’s fearless. He has no reservations about entering the line of fire and sacrificing his body.
That commitment to the cause has earned a ton of goodwill from the coaching staff. Cooper has made Hagel a fixture on the penalty kill and is feeding him some of the team’s toughest minutes:
Even with this usage and ample deployment on the freewheeling top unit alongside Kucherov and Point, he’s delivering a solid defensive impact. He’s tied for third among Lightning forwards in blocks and has posted a 2.46 GA/60.
When Cooper senses the need for a shutdown group, he’ll pair Hagel with Anthony Cirelli. The duo harasses opponents all over the ice and bears down at the point of attack, conceding just 1.78 goals per 60 minutes.
Due to his tireless work rate and healthy supply of guts, Hagel can keep the first line on the offensive or shell up with the best of them.
He’s a plug-and-play option anywhere in the lineup.
Hagel couldn’t get into a rhythm last year. This season, he’s found his comfort zone at breakneck speed and is outworking everyone on the ice.
He may not be the new Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde or Ondrej Palat, but he brings a degree of their versatility, peskiness and defense to the table—and that meld has made him indispensable to the Lightning.