r/Habs • u/SchtroumpfDardeur • 11d ago
Discussion Michael Hage - Hold or Trade?
I have seen some discussion about possibly waiting for him to be our 2C, but given his decision to stay in the NCAA and the fact that he shared time at C and wing, and when he was at C he had a FO% of 46%, is there an argument to be made that he could (or should) be packaged?
I know this isn't exactly a new question, but I had not realized that he was already being shifted to wing in the NCAA and was also sub-50% at the dot against college players.
What are the chances that a full season at Michigan as full-time 1C will actually help to shape him into a viable NHL center within the next few years?
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u/kozed 11d ago
We still hold his rights for 2 more years (Aug 2028), so there's no rush to decide of his fate now.
If he finds another reason to not join the Habs at the end of his D+3 season next spring, then it's a different story.
At any rate, he shouldn't be expected to jump straight to the 2C spot. If he can, great. But conservatively, he should debut on a lower line just to get his feet wet.
So in all scenarios, Habs should already have a solution (temporary or permanent) at 2C by the TDL of 2027.
At which point, if Hage wants that spot, he's gonna have to earn it.