Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis will have a huge decision to make in the coming days. Michael Hage, the team’s top prospect, is currently vying for a college national championship with the University of Michigan. Assuming the top-seeded Wolverines make it to the title game, Hage’s season would be over the night of April 11.
Montreal is widely expected to sign the star center whenever Michigan is finished playing. Nevertheless, there is still a debate over whether the Canadiens will bring Hage straight to the NHL or send him to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The phenom could only be available to play in Montreal’s final regular-season game on April 14.
Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan firmly believes that the Canadiens will not only use the phenom but deploy him in their second line. If so, Hage would likely join forces with fellow rookies Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. Having a full line of rookies heading into the playoffs could be risky. This is, of course, if St. Louis ultimately sticks with Hage for the upcoming postseason.
On top of this, promoting Hate straight to the second line would push out a key Canadiens contributor. Alex Newhook has been used on the line alongside Demidov and Kapanen. While he has played just 37 games so far this season, Newhook does have a respectable 23 points on the campaign. Veteran forwards Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier will also return soon after recovering from injuries.
Michael Hage’s Situation With Montreal Canadiens Feels Familiar
GettyMichael Hage is trying to win an NCAA championship before joining Montreal.
Some Montreal Canadiens fans may compare Hage’s situation to Demidov’s from a year ago. The Russian was thrown straight into Montreal’s lineup after signing a professional deal last April. Nevertheless, as The Athletic’s Arpon Basu points out, the circumstances are quite different. Due to the team’s roster at the time, Demidov’s inclusion was not a difficult decision.
Montreal also needed a boost just to make the playoffs at the time of the Russian’s arrival. This time around, the Canadiens have already locked up a postseason spot and are currently eyeing an Atlantic Division title. Does St. Louis risk rocking the boat to help give his current group a shot in the arm?
The highly-rated Hage could certainly help out Montreal’s offense. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently rated the phenom as the 21st-best prospect in hockey. The former 2024 first-round pick has racked up 51 points (13 goals and 38 assists) during his sophomore season in Ann Arbor. The tally is currently tied for fourth in the entire NCAA.
Canadiens Could use More Offensive Depth
The Canadiens are heading to the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They are currently averaging an impressive 3.45 goals per game on the campaign. Only four other clubs have a better figure in the league. Despite this, Montreal is fairly top-heavy. The team’s top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky has combined to score 105 total goals this season.
However, the Canadiens have just one other player (Kapanen) who has managed to score more than 17 goals. To put this in perspective, the Carolina Hurricanes have four players to reach 18 goals outside of their top trio. The introduction of Hage would give Montreal more depth, while also potentially helping Demidov boost his scoring.
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