Prospect Info: [2024 - 21st] Michael Hage, Chicago Steel (USHL), Committed to U of Michigan

[habbubba]

Seems like a real good kid,looking forward to see how he progresses.

 

[Maitz]

The thing with Hage is that he has a really good upside but he is very raw, he is lucky that we have a good prospect depth so he can take his time developping and maturing in the NCAA. If we were in 2017 he would be our most promising prospect with a lot of pressure.

 

[JIMVINNY]

The thing with Hage is that he has a really good upside but he is very raw, he is lucky that we have a good prospect depth so he can take his time developping and maturing in the NCAA. If we were in 2017 he would be our most promising prospect with a lot of pressure.

I'm with you on this. Kid has shown qualities that can absolutely make him a really good NHL 1C, just doesn't show it consistently enough. Given the rough go he's had over the last couple years, he's worth taking the risk on. If he develops properly, he could be pushing Suzuki for the 1C job around the same age Suzuki was when he took it over.

A top six like this would scare a lot of teams, assuming the kids all hit their potential.
Demidov-Suz-Slaf
Dach-Hage-Cauf

 

[sheed36]

Screenshot from a NHL draft video on YT.

 

[HuGort]

Should play around 6'1, 200lbs. With hands and speed. Had slow start to season but coming off shoulder injury year before and his father's death. Had great second half.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Should play around 6'1, 200lbs. With hands and speed. Had slow start to season but coming off shoulder injury year before and his father's death. Had great second half.

1,72ppg in his last 29 games. That's huge production right there!

 

[HuGort]

1,72ppg in his last 29 games. That's huge production right there!

Missing most of season before draft year he's probably behind his development curve. If he turns into anything close to Fantilli be off the charts.

 

[JianYang]

that would be devastating if Dach is a bust, he was/is 5x the prospect Hage is.

I've seen enough to conclude that he's got what it takes to be a good player in this league.

He just needs to put it together. Two things have kind of masked his output in Montreal.

1) little to play with 5 on 5 when not with suzuki/caufield

2) getting hurt for extended periods

I still have very high hopes for dach. I've said this before but he looks like one of those guys that can not only be a good player, but also a guy who can thrive in the more hotly contested games where real estate is at a premium (ie playoffs) because he got the ability to make room for himself.

 

[Maitz]

I'm with you on this. Kid has shown qualities that can absolutely make him a really good NHL 1C, just doesn't show it consistently enough. Given the rough go he's had over the last couple years, he's worth taking the risk on. If he develops properly, he could be pushing Suzuki for the 1C job around the same age Suzuki was when he took it over.

A top six like this would scare a lot of teams, assuming the kids all hit their potential.
Demidov-Suz-Slaf
Dach-Hage-Cauf

As much as I like the pick, I would still put him behind Dach in term of potential and role in the lineup, I think he can be a really good 2nd RW if Dach develop well but I dont see him pass Dach in the lineup

 

[Rob Sense]

1,72ppg in his last 29 games. That's huge production right there!

That 1.72 is the same pace as Celebrini and more than Mathews. Let's see what a full year NCAA tells us. Great pick!

 

[SlafySZN]

As much as I like the pick, I would still put him behind Dach in term of potential and role in the lineup, I think he can be a really good 2nd RW if Dach develop well but I dont see him pass Dach in the lineup

Dach at full potential? Probably not. We’ll see if we ever see it, though.

But also Hage could be become better than both Dach and Suzuki with the ultimate development and if everything falls into place so we’re talking way too soon, it’s impossible to know.

 

[Gally11]

Dach at full potential? Probably not. We’ll see if we ever see it, though.

But also Hage could be become better than both Dach and Suzuki with the ultimate development and if everything falls into place so we’re talking way too soon, it’s impossible to know.

If Hage ends up better than both Suzuki and Dach we’re winning a cup lol

 

[KevSkillz4]

At this point, Hage just need to be #6 best forward in this team. Don't need the pressure to be more than that.

#1 and #2 it's Slaf and Demidov (can be interchangeables). Superstar talent's.

#3, #4, #5 it's Suzuki, Caufield and Dach. First line talent's. Dach and Caufield will likely to play on the 2nd line when Demidov will be there.

#6... Michael Hage. Top 6 talent.

If his impact will be close to Suzuki and Dach, that will be very fantastic. But I would very be satisfied if he can only complete perfectly these 5 players.

 

[Apfel Struble]

Is it me or is Hage a way better prospect at D0 than the players that the Habs drafted in the late 10s and 20s in the last two decades?

Off the top of my head they were Mesar, Poehling, Juulsen, Scherbak, McCarron, Beaulieu, Tinordi and Leblanc. I can't remember any of them being in the same tier of prospect that Hage is in. A bit earlier in the mid 10s were Guhle and Caufield who both had big to considerable hype though

I feel like Hage would have gone top 12 in the 2022 draft and top 15 in 2023. High producing fast skating centers over 6' in not obscure leagues tend to go top 15. Was the 2024 draft this stacked in the top 20ish?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is it me or is Hage a way better prospect at D0 than the players that the Habs drafted in the late 10s and 20s in the last two decades?

Off the top of my head they were Mesar, Poehling, Juulsen, Scherbak, McCarron, Beaulieu, Tinordi and Leblanc. I can't remember any of them being in the same tier of prospect that Hage is in. A bit earlier in the mid 10s were Guhle and Caufield who both had big to considerable hype though

I feel like Hage would have gone top 12 in the 2022 draft and top 15 in 2023. High producing fast skating centers over 6' in not obscure leagues tend to go top 15. Was the 2024 draft this stacked in the top 20ish?

Not necessarily that stacked but there were favorable circumstances for both picks. Hage was supposed to go higher than he did. We lucked out and that early trade up paid massive dividends. The skill, skating and tools combo he has down the middle is almost always gone top 15

 

[KevSkillz4]

Is it me or is Hage a way better prospect at D0 than the players that the Habs drafted in the late 10s and 20s in the last two decades?

Off the top of my head they were Mesar, Poehling, Juulsen, Scherbak, McCarron, Beaulieu, Tinordi and Leblanc. I can't remember any of them being in the same tier of prospect that Hage is in. A bit earlier in the mid 10s were Guhle and Caufield who both had big to considerable hype though

I feel like Hage would have gone top 12 in the 2022 draft and top 15 in 2023. High producing fast skating centers over 6' in not obscure leagues tend to go top 15. Was the 2024 draft this stacked in the top 20ish?

Yes. The stats who make me very high on him, it's that in his last 29 games (some top players play only that in USHL) at 17 years old. He put 1,72 ppg. 50 points.

That's can be comparable to a guy selected in the top 10 in last fews drafts.

I know everyone will tell me that he is finish the year with 1,39 ppg. But again, his 25 first games... he lost his father in July. He have big injurie at 16 years old (still manage to put 10 pts in 13 games. That's really good).

So I don't really see in 25 first games with 1ppg like his real indicator of his actual talent.

1,72 ppg is more in the range of is high offensive talent.

We have a very good one right there !

 

[Apfel Struble]

The skill, skating and tools combo he has down the middle is almost always gone top 15

Exactly! I still can't wrap my head around it. I expect he'll be more of a winger at the pro level like Kyrou or a C/W hybrid, but still. How was he not gone top 15? I thought before the draft he'd be gone right after Luchanko in the top 15

 

[WeThreeKings]

Exactly! I still can't wrap my head around it. I expect he'll be more of a winger at the pro level like Kyrou or a C/W hybrid, but still. How was he not gone top 15? I thought before the draft he'd be gone right after Luchanko in the top 15

We got lucky that Detroit had a player type they wanted and had drafted Cs last two drafts, that the Blues were locked in on adding a RD, that Washington seemingly were super high on Parascak, and Chicago had a need for more grit and size down the middle, then Eiserman was there for NYI and Vegas were always gonna not care about character for a high upside player they'll trade at a deadline.

 

[Apfel Struble]

We got lucky that Detroit had a player type they wanted and had drafted Cs last two drafts, that the Blues were locked in on adding a RD, that Washington seemingly were super high on Parascak, and Chicago had a need for more grit and size down the middle, then Eiserman was there for NYI and Vegas were always gonna not care about character for a high upside player they'll trade at a deadline.

True, it makes sense when you lay it like that. Stian Solberg is another that went way lower than I thought too. Anaheim got tremendous value there IMO

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

A lot of stuff definitely needed to happen for Hage to end up with us. Feels like destiny.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

is Luchenko better then Hage ? didnt know much about him feels like Flyers reached to pick him that high

 

[WeThreeKings]

is Luchenko better then Hage ? didnt know much about him feels like Flyers reached to pick him that high

Different type of players. Luchanko is a Bergeron lite while Hage is an Eichel lite.

Looks like Philly wanted a smart playmaking center who could really handle the defensive burden that Michkov will have on a line.

 

[montreal]

Is it me or is Hage a way better prospect at D0 than the players that the Habs drafted in the late 10s and 20s in the last two decades?

Off the top of my head they were Mesar, Poehling, Juulsen, Scherbak, McCarron, Beaulieu, Tinordi and Leblanc. I can't remember any of them being in the same tier of prospect that Hage is in. A bit earlier in the mid 10s were Guhle and Caufield who both had big to considerable hype though

I feel like Hage would have gone top 12 in the 2022 draft and top 15 in 2023. High producing fast skating centers over 6' in not obscure leagues tend to go top 15. Was the 2024 draft this stacked in the top 20ish?

too early to say, I never saw him before the draft but he has been a nice surprise so far, we'll see if he sticks at center, the speed/skating is impressive though, the first time I saw him skate at the development camp my first thought was his skating reminded me of Carbo's for some reason.

He does have a bit of a similar profile to that of Mesar but I'll get a better idea of him since I should get most if not every game he plays next season.

 

[bsl]

I'm with you on this. Kid has shown qualities that can absolutely make him a really good NHL 1C, just doesn't show it consistently enough. Given the rough go he's had over the last couple years, he's worth taking the risk on. If he develops properly, he could be pushing Suzuki for the 1C job around the same age Suzuki was when he took it over.

A top six like this would scare a lot of teams, assuming the kids all hit their potential.
Demidov-Suz-Slaf
Dach-Hage-Cauf

Need 2 more Bonafide top 6 players. Maybe next years draft pick. And a ufa.

 

[Redux91]

Is it me or is Hage a way better prospect at D0 than the players that the Habs drafted in the late 10s and 20s in the last two decades?

Off the top of my head they were Mesar, Poehling, Juulsen, Scherbak, McCarron, Beaulieu, Tinordi and Leblanc. I can't remember any of them being in the same tier of prospect that Hage is in. A bit earlier in the mid 10s were Guhle and Caufield who both had big to considerable hype though

I feel like Hage would have gone top 12 in the 2022 draft and top 15 in 2023. High producing fast skating centers over 6' in not obscure leagues tend to go top 15. Was the 2024 draft this stacked in the top 20ish?

Yeah no for real
He is clearly a top 15, top 10 talent

Not sure what some teams were thinking but, thanks!

Need 2 more Bonafide top 6 players. Maybe next years draft pick. And a ufa.

How do you look at that potential top6 and still say we need to get 2 more through draft and UFA lol