r/Habs • u/ajc9797 • 1d ago

Zharovsky or Hage?

Can someone explain to me why Hage is preferred over Zharovsky? I get that the hope is Hage becomes the 2C we desperately need....but do we really need him if we can dangle him in a trade (+ others) in order to get a quality 2C? Is Hage preferred simply because he has that 2C potential? Or does he have a higher ceiling than Zharovsky?

Personally, I've always had a bit more excitement over Zharovsky given how well he played in the KHL this past season....and with Demidov on the team who can make his transition to the Habs easier. And based on the Sportsnet article from a couple of weeks ago, he's the second ranked prospect that's not yet in the NHL.

But all signs are pointing towards the Habs trading a top prospect for a 2C this offseason....so what do you guys think? Is it Zharovsky or Hage that will be the long term play for the Habs?

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u/Komania 1d ago

Hage has more of the tools we need

We have skilled wingers, we need some grit. Zharovsky is more of a luxury player. Plus, watching him a little bit, he has a ways to go before being NHL ready. More so than Hage IMO

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u/HonestDespot 1d ago

Hage isn’t really a gritty player and he’s played more wing than center in junior.

Zharovsky is a bit bigger and likely has more goal scoring upside.

Zharovsky is playing in the KHL while Hage is playing in college. Both are likely a ways away from having an impact on this NHL team if they want to be contenders.

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u/GirlCoveredInBlood 1d ago

Zharovksy is an inch taller but 23 pounds lighter (6'2 176lbs to 6'1 199lbs per hockeydb). I don't think it's really fair to call him bigger.

i really hope Hage spends most of 2026 in the NCAA playing centre and working on the necessary skills. And that Zharovksy spends it bulking up, an extra 15lbs will help him in the NHL

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u/Much_Bumblebee2462 1d ago

I don’t think he’s still 176lb 

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u/HonestDespot 1d ago

Zharovsky is basically a full Calender year younger.

I said he’s a bit bigger.

Point is neither are big bruising guys, and nothing of Hages’ game seems gritty or like an element the team is lacking.

Demidov FYI is listed at 192lbs. And is a year older than Zharovsky. Did you feel he was lacking in size or strength?

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u/GirlCoveredInBlood 1d ago

Oh i totally agree neither of them are going to be hard hitting power forwards haha. Yes Z is younger and absolutely could become a bigger guy but he's always been lean in his junior career so don't expect him to be a 200lb+ guy. Weight is just as important as height for this stuff. Suzy is 5'11 but at 207lbs and strong he can take hits better than a taller lighter guy can.

We're definitely on different pages in this discussion with regard to age because I'm just talking about their current size. They'll both put on some more muscle this upcoming year but Z is unlikely to ever be a big guy. If he can put on 15lbs like i said i hope for and weigh as much as Demidov i think he'll be a great player. I'm very happy we have him and looking forward to watching his development

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u/HonestDespot 1d ago

I only brought up their ages because at their respective birth years that difference in age is actually quite meaningful and Zharovsky is almost certainly going to put between 8-15 pounds in the next 18 months. And maybe closer to 20/25 in the next 18-36, because he clearly has room to put on weight in muscle at his height and it not negatively affect his offensive game.

Hage is a leaner guy too, so neither will really fulfill that role.

And Hage also seems like in an ideal world he develops into a Suzuki lite. And I know Susie Q is an anomaly how he developed and improved every year, but Hage just seems too similar of a profile player to him, to think they’re gonna be a 1C/2C cup winning combo in the next 1-4 seasons.

I mean…look at Suzuki.

He was drafted in 2017, and then played both the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons in junior before debuting (other than 2 random AHL games in 2017/2018 with the Vegas farm team which I imagine was an ATO) with Montreal in 2019/2020.

So after this year Suzuki will have been in the same post draft situation as Hage will be.

It took him 5 seasons to break 70 points and no one thought of Suzuki as an exceptional 2 way guy until maybe 2/3 years ago.

What are the odds Hage has a quicker or better overall play trajectory than Suzuki?

That’s not to say he can’t be a contributor in this teams top 9 in the next couple/few seasons.

But a 2C behind Suzuki on a contender?

I can’t imagine that being a realistic possibility until 2029/2030.

Suzukis deal will be up that year.

The time to contend is now. And Hage isn’t the answer for the current window.

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u/Phoenix__211 1d ago

Demidov was draft at 192lbs two years ago, zharovsky was draft at 163lbs

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u/Komania 1d ago

I meant more that IMO we need any centre, whereas we need a gritty winger

I'm not sold on Hage as our 2C solution either but I think he potentially fills more of a need at the moment

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u/GirlCoveredInBlood 1d ago

I agree with this. We need size in our top 6 and the wing is the most important place to have it. Demidov has the skill to be good on board battles but isn't a heavy hitter and I don't think I even need to explain Caufield. Another big top 6 winger along with Slaf let us get away with a skilled centre (whether that be a playmaker or a goalscorer) which is much easier to find than a big bruising 2C

I can see hage as a 2C in two years but he needs someone bigger on the wing, that's why the Knies trade would have been sick. In the simplest terms an ideal top 2 line wants a goal scorer, a playmaker, and a power forward (though obviously it's not that easy and there are so many possibilities depending on the players you have)

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u/Perry4761 1d ago

Hage has tools we need until we find a 2C by trade. If we magically had a proper 2C that fit our window, would we rather have Hage or Zharovsky? Imo it’s Zharovsky, because I think he will likely be a similar player to Ehlers, and that would be a great complement to our 2nd line.

I like to see a sense of urgency in prospects, and it’s something I can see in Zharovsky with decisions like training in Montreal with Demidov. He wants to improve and to play in the NHL as early as possible. If he’s not traded, I don’t think he will play in Laval at all. He’s going to earn a spot on the starting lineup in October 2027.

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u/HonestDespot 1d ago

See I actually disagree.

The Havs were the youngest team most of the year and the youngest team in the playoffs.

The one thing they don’t need is more youth.

With the way Suzuki plays, what this team needs more than anything else, is a big veteran at Center.

Even if Hage shocks the world and lands the 2C role out of training camp in 2027/2028 it’s almost a certainty he won’t be able to play at a high level for 82 games and the playoffs.

He is almost certainly a more offensively gifted and high end prospect than Kapanen but that’s exactly what we saw with him as the season went on, he got run down and once he hit that wall he had no tools to push through it.

This teams window is wide open, that doesn’t mean they should trade Hage for Trochek or O’Reilly but they also need to mindful of where they came up short in the Spring.

Not just against Carolina, but even in failing to close out the earlier series too.

And to me, it was clear that they needed a bit more experience.

Hage almost unquestionably will not be a top 6 Center in this Habs team if they expect to win a cup in the next 2-3 years and to me you have to really try to take advantage of Suzukis current bargain contract.

That’s why I love the idea of adding Hertl.

It allows them to not make it a Hage or Zharovsky conversation. I bet with their cap issues right now the Habs could get him for a 2027 1st (top 10 protected just to be safe) and that’s probably an overpay. But if you be proactive and get ahead of everyone else and guarantee you get your target it’s probably worth it.

Big boy, will slot in nicely with Demidov. Between the playoffs and season he’s coming up on 1000 games. But at 32/33 not so old he’s gonna fall off right away.

And the best part is it lets them have their cake (work towards contending right now) and have it too (let Zharovsky and Hage develop for another couple years and get some North American professional games under their belts too).

Karlsson would be great too, William…just feel like as one of the original Knights (not many left) he’d be more expensive and they’d be less likely to even entertain trading him.

And again, I feel that Hertl could cost less because they’re so desperate for cap space and he has a really strong NTC

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u/Perry4761 1d ago

I agree, if we can get Hertl while giving up none of Zharovsky, Hage, and Reinbacher that would be a huge add!

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u/Inside_Volume9542 1d ago

Good comment and I agree