On the night of the last NHL draft, all the attention of Canadiens fans was focused on Ivan Demidov (and rightly so). There is so much talk about Demidov that we almost overlook Michael Hage, drafted 21st overall by the Canadiens.
Hage is a center who has excellent skills, both offensively and defensively.
You could even compare him to a certain Phillip Danault. At least, that’s what Tony Marinaro and Simon “Snake” Boisvert did during the Sick Podcast from Saturday.
When Marinaro claimed that Hage is a little better than Danault, Boisvert responded by explaining that Danault is an excellent defensive center, who is also capable of producing a little offensively, but that Hage is much better in attack than the Quebecer.
Boisvert finds Hage has an excellent shot, superb skating and very good puck control.
The Snake has high expectations for Hage, but it’s not necessarily in a top-6 role. Indeed, he sees Hage as the Canadiens’ third center on a team that would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. However, he can also imagine him on a second line, if necessary.
In front of Hage, Boisvert obviously sees Kirby Dach and Nick Suzuki. On a third line, he expects to see Hage produce at a rate of 40 or 45 points per season, which is excellent for a third-line player.
If the Canadiens wanted to play Hage on the second line instead, Boisvert would expect production in the region of 60 points per season.
Even though the Snake didn’t really talk about it, we must not forget that the Canadiens’ 21st pick is an excellent player in his own zone. He is capable of putting pressure on opposing players and recovering pucks.
In addition to all of the qualities mentioned above, Michael Hage grew up a Canadiens fan, so he might have some extra motivation to give his all to help his childhood team win.
Hage finished his 2023-24 season with 75 points in 54 games with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. He will join Michigan of the NCAA for the upcoming campaign.
A lot of
– Demidov and Hage are popular.
– The Lightning did not handle the departure of their captain well.
– Henrique stays in Edmonton.
