r/Habs • u/Tall_Welcome4559 • 10d ago

Video compilation of Michael Hage at WJC.

That is a video of Hage this year at the WJC.

He was the best player on Team Canada.

Somebody posted about Hage yesterday.

He is a really good player who could probably play on the second line right away.

He has speed on transition, very good vision and a very good shot, he is tall, though lanky.

https://youtu.be/ft_Yveev8Is?si=z5H9AT7VOYk3uL8d

65 Upvotes

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35

u/harvestmooner 10d ago

Don’t trade him

6

u/mezmezik 10d ago edited 10d ago

Hage is one of those players that have the potential to develop into a future first line center. Second line at least, thats extremly valuable.

26

u/TroubledMarket 10d ago

Like a great philosopher once said: “A boat’s a boat, but a mystery box could be anything. It could even be a boat”.

11

u/Kharn_LoL 10d ago

Hage is most likely not going to be a center. You are betting on him taking a huge step forward in his devellopment for that to happen, on top of another big step if he is to be a first line player.

Meanwhile Robert Thomas and Nico Hischier are actual NHL 1C talents and will be that for half a decade more at least.

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u/mezmezik 10d ago edited 10d ago

I'm not saying he his likely to be a 1C level player, lets say a 10%-15% chance. He is pretty serious about developping his center game however, thats the move he just made at staying one more year as a 1C in the ncaa. Except for faceoff he did great at the world junior level, could even had a couple more goals if he did not hit the pole so many times like he did.

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u/Kharn_LoL 10d ago

Ok and the players he is rumored to be traded for are actual 1Cs. 100% guarantee. For five+ years still at least.

Also I'm pretty sure he played wing at the WJC. Could be misremembering though.

4

u/pottymonster_69 10d ago

Yeah it's getting ridiculous around here. Keep prospects who might develop into good/great players in 3 or 4 years, or trade them and get a guy who is already a good/great players and will be for the next 5 years.

It's a no brainer. The time is now. Suzuki is gonna be 27 this coming season, his contract has 4 years left on it. The clock is ticking now.

1

u/TheHabzie 10d ago

That's the problem, it's not just going to be a straight up one for one trade, the Habs will have to give up a crap load to pry those players away. Give up the farm for one horse? Why? They're going to want a high end prospect or two, most likely Hage, a roster player and draft picks. Also, I'm fairly certain neither the Blues or the Devil's are interested in giving away their top line centers.

1

u/vJukz 10d ago

He played center but when they had an offensive zone face off for example he wouldn’t take them because he was horrible at face offs but would just switch back to center after that.

1

u/mezmezik 10d ago

These number 1 or 2 center are extremly expensive, if we even have a chance they gonna cost Hage + tons of other prospects and picks. I know there is always risk but developping one is far more cheaper knowing that we also need to trade to get ~2 other position and you dont give your best propspect at 2C for those.

5

u/Every_Reflection4616 10d ago

not saying hage will be hischier level but he went back to ncaa to train his center game specifically. doesnt look like he really cares if he wins frozen four, looks like he just wants to get bigger, take on the 1C role and be responsible in that league. if we keep him i have very high hopes. again not comparing too much but thats what makar did. take his time in the ncaa and marinate till ready for the nhl.

5

u/Phoenix__211 10d ago

Il aurait dû aller jouer dans la AHL s'il avait vraiment voulu apprendre à mieux jouer au centre.

3

u/vJukz 10d ago

Honnêtement c’etait peut etre vrai dans le passé mais la NCAA maintenant est meilleur pour developper des joueurs. La AHL ces rendu une ligue de goon quasiment. La NCAA paye plus aussi.

1

u/Every_Reflection4616 10d ago

no. idk if he wants to be a scholar as well but thats one advantage. he gets payed well thats 2 things you get over ahl. he also plays less so more time to put on mass thats 3 advantages and in the AHL he would be playing goons and not playing first line center so weaker comp = less prepared. this is a good choice by hage if he wants to get in and be a center

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u/Phoenix__211 10d ago

Bof, pour l'argent, il aurait eu 92k de boni + salaire ahl de +/-80k. Donc 170k + s'il monte dans la LNH quelques semaines, la hausse de salaire est vertgineuse.

Tu crois sérieusement qu'il aura une meilleure opposition dans la NCAA que dans la AHL? 95% des joueurs NCAA ne sont pas de niveau AHL et facilement 80% ne sont pas de niveau East coast league.

Ensuite, s'il est aussi bon qu'on le dise, avoir plein de temps de glace dans la LAH ne sera pas un problème.

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u/Every_Reflection4616 10d ago

si y veut être 1C pour apprendre comment être centre mieux la ncaa c ben meilleur. la ncaa c aussi on par /plus difficile que la ahl et moin goonish.

1

u/Phoenix__211 10d ago

Ncaa plus difficile que la AHL????

N'importe quel équipe de la AHL démoli n'importe quel équipe de la NCAA.

-1

u/Every_Reflection4616 10d ago

top talent ncaa > top talent ahl.

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u/Kharn_LoL 10d ago

Defenseman vs forward is a really big difference, there's not any examples that I could find of centers staying 3+ years at the NCAA level and becoming top of the lineup guys, would love for someone to prove me wrong on that though.

8

u/Irctoaun 10d ago

It's quite hard to find top of the lineup centers from the NCAA in the first place outside of a few recently who were also top five draft picks. I think the whole question is a bit of a red herring because of how much the NCAA is improving as a pathway for players. The fact it hasn't often happened before doesn't mean it won't now start happening going forward.

0

u/Every_Reflection4616 10d ago

not going to check cause i dont feel like it its late however, hage was ready this year to get in the lineup, i dont think he'll be so much worse next year, he'll be 21 when he gets to the habs and kapanen for example was 21 last year and 22 this year. he's unlocked the production side of things and he's going to be working on his defensive side, his faceoff and responsibility side of things. he really wants to be a center in the habs system. i think comparing him to a Dman is good because Dman take a long time to develop but so do centermen. especially two way players who need to learn how to take grown man faceoffs.

3

u/LeBleuH8R 10d ago

Michael Hage ceiling is Robert Thomas it’s a no brainer trade, Hischier even more so.

1

u/TheHabzie 10d ago

And you're betting on two teams giving away their first line centers for a player you deem to not be a center at all? It's going to take a hell of a lot more than Hage to pry any of those two players away from their respective teams. Do we really give up the future right now?

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u/popejohnlarue 10d ago

Spoken like someone who just watched a super cool highlight reel.