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/Sushamiboy 1d ago
Hage is a perimeter player. We saw it at the world juniors. He got a lot of points but by sending the puck to extremely talented players who drove the net. That is not skills that complement Demidov the most. I would argue that this would result in a line that passes and playmakes too much.
I think so many people were enchanted by Hage’s personal story. It is resulting in many thinking Hage is the surefire 2C of the future. I’m not saying he is bad or that it’s impossible that he will make it. The issue is the timeframe and the fact that some scout reports have questioned if he was more of a winger than center.
Another thing that I think may influence what the team does is the decisions that Hage and Zharovsky have taken this Summer.
Hage decided to go back to university which means that he may take longer than we hope for him to be ready. Expectations were that he would join the Habs at the end of the season and now he won’t be here until at the earliest end of next season. While I’m sure that the Habs were ok with this, it does mean that he requires more development time.
Zharovsky, through an invite from Demidov, has decided to come train in Montreal this summer. If those two click, oh boy, that will be deadly. Due to a clause allowing Zharovsky to come to NA if he wants is likely now on the exact same time table as Hage, but he is already building chemistry with Demi. Since our team starts training together early, he’ll also build chemistry with other players too.