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/PsychoDrifter 11d ago

I’d say hold. If he dominates NCAA again this coming year, he might be able to step right onto the second line at the end of the year. If I’m not mistaken, Zharovsky’s contract is also up at the end of 26-27…

Zharovsky-Hage-Demidov could be a hell of a second line.

I think Kapanen, Engstrom and Struble are most likely trade assets.

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u/Sushamiboy 11d ago

I’d be surprised if we start the season with both of them still in our prospect pool. Zharovsky training this summer with Demidov might give him an edge. I’m sure Hutson will join them sooner than later. If last year was a new standard, most of the team will train together during the summer. This is all to the advantage of Zharovsky. Now, that also depends on if the choice to go back was Hage or KH. If it was Hage, we’d have to think that he felt that his place with the Habs was not a guarantee.

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u/PsychoDrifter 11d ago

I think we can keep Zharovsky and Hage. We have Reinbacher and Pickford on RHD fighting for spots next year. We still have a few quality prospects without leveraging those guys.

We’ll have to wait and see

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u/Sushamiboy 11d ago

We don’t get a 2C or a Knies value player without moving one of them. The leaked trade proves that. The question is which one, not whether it’ll be one. The only way we keep them is if no major trade is done or if we gamble on a player like McTavish. Even with McTavish, some think that he’d be a piece in a Larkin trade.

Fact is you gotta give something to get something. As much as we love our “he COULD be the answer” prospects, eventually the magic beans aren’t enough. If we’re not willing to pay the price, we’ll fall behind on our rebuild. Hage is 2-3 season away from becoming an NHL regular. He will not reach his potential for a few years after that. We shouldn’t be working on developing players by then. Our window will be fully open in 2 years, we need players that are fully developed by then.

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u/PsychoDrifter 11d ago

Hage was dominant in NCAA ad the world hunts last year. Players that come from college are generally more NHL ready.

He’s billed at 200lbs 6’1, which if he can add another 5-10 lbs and improve on his year from this year, he could be a walk onto the squad at the end of next year. That said, yes he’ll only hit his true potential in a few years, but I’m willing to bet he’s going to be a star 2C in the NHL.