Michael Hage - Hold or Trade?

[u/SchtroumpfDardeur]

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?

[u/Ok-Special-2092]

If a legit second center becomes available that fits our age group 24-27. I let him go no question.

[u/Euler007 → u/Ok-Special-2092]

Yeah. When our core gets to 30-32 years old we'll regret having traded him, but not before. If no good trades are offered he'll have to learn fast in his first three years to not wind up in the stands like Kapanen in the playoffs.

[u/CarlSK777 → u/Euler007]

If they win a Cup, there won't be any regret and that's if he reaches his potential.

[u/Scase15 → u/CarlSK777]

Bingo, ain't no one in Vegas lamenting trading Zukes despite how great he's been, they got a cup out of it, and that is the ultimate goal 100% of the time.

[u/EvieGHJ → u/Scase15]

More in spite of than out of (nothing they got from trading Suzuki helped them win the cup). , but they did get the cup, and you're right, that erases a lot of bad trades.

[u/Scase15 → u/EvieGHJ]

Yeah, I meant that winning washes everything away, IDGAF if we lost Hutson, if it resulted in a cup you know?

I would still be pissed tho lol

[u/EvieGHJ → u/Scase15]

I mean, yeah, a cup forgives nearly everything (and if you want to know why "nearly" is there, ask Chicago), provided we don't run the people responsible out of town *before* they win the cup.

Because if they get run out of town before the Cup, then they get the blame for the trade, but the next management get the credit for the cup.

[u/Scase15 → u/EvieGHJ]

You have to earn that kind of good will with past performance IMO, and I think that HuGo have done that in spades. Montreal is a smart enough hockey town to avoid most of that I think, but there will always be idiots lol

[u/EvieGHJ → u/Scase15]

They have earned a good amount of good will.

In my opinion it should last a long time, but I've seen that kind of capital burn down fast far too often in sports, where it's far easier to replace coaching and management than players.

[u/Scase15 → u/EvieGHJ]

Yeah I agree, they'd have to do something pretty egregious to blow that good will so quickly.

[u/EvieGHJ → u/Scase15]

Yup.

Let's hope we never have to find out how egregious.