Rookie watch: Hagg big hit with Flyers

Robert Hagg used to think of himself as a skilled defenseman capable of energizing a power play. That's before he became a full-time fixture with the Philadelphia Flyers this season.
As it turns out, the 22-year-old native of Sweden might be a better penalty-killer with a knack for energizing his team with a big hit.

"When I got to North America I saw a couple of skilled defenders like Shayne Gostisbehere and figured, 'OK, maybe I should do something else to excel at on the blue line,' " Hagg said. "What I figured out was that playing physical and shutting guys down was what helped my team most."
Hagg leads the NHL in hits (171), and leads all NHL rookies in blocked shots (71) and shorthanded time on ice (95:54) in 49 games. He ranks second on the Flyers in even-strength ice time (818:19), and is tied for second with Michael Raffl with a plus-13 rating.
"Defensively he doesn't give up much, he plays physical, and a big part of his game is separating guys from the puck," Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald said. "He plays a simple game and rarely do you ever see him put himself in a bad situation or get himself in trouble."
Hagg (6-foot-2, 204 pounds) was No. 8 in NHL Central Scouting's final list of international skaters eligible for the 2013 NHL Draft. The Flyers chose him in the second round (No. 41) of that draft; he was the 12th defenseman off the board and the second chosen by the Flyers after No. 11 Samuel Morin of Rimouski, Quebec.

"A lot of the times when he realizes he doesn't have any options he holds onto the puck against the boards and waits for help and that's big," Flyers goalie Brian Elliott said of Hagg. "If you're panicking to make a play, you force giveaways and he's the type of guy to stay calm, patient and let the game happen.
"He also plays with that edge that if you come at him, he's got a big body and can put you down, too."
Hagg credits his two seasons with MODO in the Swedish Hockey League and his three-plus seasons for Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League as pivotal stages in his development.
"Playing in the SHL allowed me to go head-to-head against men at a young age and I learned a lot from that being in the locker room and being with former NHL guys like Samuel Pahlsson," Hagg said. "That was huge for me to see how they prepared every single practice and game."
Hagg played 77 SHL regular-season games and had one goal and six assists. It wasn't until he came to North America, however, that he began to reap the benefits of playing a strong, physical game.
"I always did like to give or take a hit but it wasn't always a part of my game; that started when I came over here," Hagg said with a grin. "When I was 19, I tried to use my body as much as I could because I noticed how effective it was."
Hagg said playing in North America as a teenager also prepared him for the rigors of being effective on a smaller ice surface, something he knew all about but never experienced.

"Everything was so much faster, and guys coming into the offensive zone have a scoring chance right away because they're so much closer to the net," Hagg said. "It's all about taking different angles to defend."
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol was asked if he's been surprised by the play of his rookie defenseman.
"In no way do I diminish the role he's playing for us by saying it's not a surprise, but we felt like he was ready to step into the NHL after the job he did in the AHL," Hakstol said. "He's played a large role for us, especially earlier this year when we had injuries to some veteran players."
A lower-body injury to MacDonald earlier this season gave Hagg an opportunity on the top pair alongside Ivan Provorov. He has also skated with Gostisbehere. Hagg has one goal and five assists.
"I don't think we'll ever gauge his game by the number of points he scores but he's such a smart player in terms of his first pass and his efficiency of moving the puck out of the zone," Hakstol said. "If you watch him closely, he's always supporting the play and part of the offensive play. I don't think we'll ever solely judge the value of what he brings by the number of points he's scoring; he's too valuable a player in a two-way sense."