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

[Natey]

If he continue to improve and hit his ceilling futur top 9 look really good.
Slaf-Suzuki-Caufield
Dach-Hage-Demidov
Newhook-Kapanen-Roy

Roy? If Roy continues to look like he has this pre-season, he'll be in Europe before long. Woof.

 

[26Mats]

If he continue to improve and hit his ceilling futur top 9 look really good.
Slaf-Suzuki-Caufield
Dach-Hage-Demidov
Newhook-Kapanen-Roy

Hopefully Laine is part of the future!

Then you have Kapanen - Hage - Newhook/Roy/Beck fighting for last top 9 spot.

 

[CHwest]

Right, he didn't have 4 points and completely dominate in his first post draft game. You're correct.

Mesar, I am going to start referring to him as trigger.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Lol pot and kettle

(Not you, the poster)

 

[Natey]

Mesar, I am going to start referring to him as trigger.

There's no trigger. People can like and dislike who they choose. But there's no need to lie about things to make a point, lol.

 

[Rapala]

Not the same caliber of prospect. Hage should have gone top 15 and that's based on a season that started slow due to tragedy and injury recovery.

Mesar was a legit late first rounder.

I think Team Canada are insane if they don't look at this kid very very closely.

 

[Yasuo]

There's no trigger. People can like and dislike who they choose. But there's no need to lie about things to make a point, lol.

Mesar is a small soft winger who is invisible most of the game. Even if Hage had 0 point but played like he has during the first 2 games he would still look more promising. You know actual skill matter more than point total in lower league. Like being 6"1, good shot, good vision and have you seen his zone entry? Mesar never looked that promising. Also scoring in the Ncaa is harder than the ohl so his 4 points in 2 game are more impressive

 

[Ozmodiar]

Hopefully Laine is part of the future!

Then you have Kapanen - Hage - Newhook/Roy/Beck fighting for last top 9 spot.

Hage will be a top 6 player.

 

[SlafySZN]

Mesar is a small soft winger who is invisible most of the game. Even if Hage had 0 point but played like he has during the first 2 games he would still look more promising. You know actual skill matter more than point total in lower league. Like being 6"1, good shot, good vision and have you seen his zone entry? Mesar never looked that promising. Also scoring in the Ncaa is harder than the ohl so his 4 points in 2 game are more impressive

He’s so good at controlling a zone entry like Eichel. So clean.

 

[waitin425]

Hopefully Laine is part of the future!

Then you have Kapanen - Hage - Newhook/Roy/Beck fighting for last top 9 spot.

I hope Laine is part of the solution as well.

If Hage can somehow equal Dach and be a top 6 player but, slot on our 3rd line for a few years until he is 25ish and undergo a replacement cycle of some of our stars, it is a perfect pipeline of talent.

Let's look way ahead to '27-'28. Hage is D+4 and on his 2nd or 3rd year of ELC, and has continued on his upward trajectory.

Forward group (age in parantheses)

Slaf (23) - Suzuki (28) - Caufield (26)
Laine (29) - Dach (26) - Demidov (21)
Newhook (26) - Hage (21) - Kapanen (24)
Heineman (26) - Beck (23) - Tuch (25)

I understand some players may still be here (ie Roy) while others who are not here we may sign or trade for. It is a luxury to have such a deep forward group.

Our top 6 has a pretty projectable ceiling. If that third line hits ceiling, we will be incredibly difficult to match up against. Hage at age 23-24 could be a replacement for an aging out Suzuki or Laine.

This is how you build a consistent contender and playoff team. Our next 10+ years will be some return to glory for us. I am confident of it.

 

[calder candidate]

didn’t expect for him to look so good so early. Brightest spot of the preseason

 

[Trabdy2]

Impressive start to his NCAA career

 

[1909]

Looking forward for a Slaf-Hage-Demidov line !!!!!

 

[Mrb1p]

Funny because Hage has easily first line potential and he's like almost an afterthought

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Roy? If Roy continues to look like he has this pre-season, he'll be in Europe before long. Woof.

What you see now is how he looked in Laval for most of the season



Nice start for Hage. I highly doubt he can keep it up, but if he can, that would be an amazing season

 

[Andrei79]

He’s so good at controlling a zone entry like Eichel. So clean.

He really has a similar style. We were a few on draft day here that were ecstatic about the pick and I think many will understand why this year. He has all the tools to be a very good NHLer starting with his skating and IQ. Extremely happy about the pick and it's a relief having a management team that tries finds players in the draft and targets them. They don't believe it's just a crapshoot like MB. Gorton did the same with KAndre Miller and Braden Schneider, two excellent later picks.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Roy? If Roy continues to look like he has this pre-season, he'll be in Europe before long. Woof.

This fixation on Roy is mystifying. I hope I'm wrong but with the wave of talent coming, I can't see him and several other current fringe forwards being on this team by the 2027 season. There will be way, way too many better options: Beck, Demidov, Hage, Florian, Thorpe, Kapanen, Sawyer, Tuch, etc. And that doesn't even take into account those 3 first and 4 seconds that Hughes has already garnered over the next 2 years and the free agents that may be added as existing veterans' contracts terminate. Heck, if Allen and the Devils continue to win, that conditional 3rd round pick may well turn into the 5th second rounder.

 

[mfilipo3]

He could have a similar frame too, when all is said and done . Hage is pretty lanky.

And Eichel is a freakish athlete. Some of his gym numbers are insane. He’s a menace in the gym, look at some of his training vids. I remember seeing one a while back of him hang power cleaning 345 in his late teens / early 20s

 

[atrud66]

Hage has looked very impressive. He has better vision than I expected

 

[Andrei79]

And Eichel is a freakish athlete. Some of his gym numbers are insane. He’s a menace in the gym, look at some of his training vids. I remember seeing one a while back of him hang power cleaning 345 in his late teens / early 20s

There's a video on YouTube of him doing 275x5 hang cleans like it's a joke.

 

[KevSkillz4]

He looks more promising than Beckett Sennecke lol.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

He’s so good at controlling a zone entry like Eichel. So clean.

Reminds me more of a bigger Barzal. Some players skate others glide effortlessly. That Hage can control the pace of play against players who are 3 to 4 years older and stronger than him is very impressive. Hage is one of those rare elite puck transporters who can control the flow of play and the type of player that every team is searching for. This kid is going to be a high end player for Montreal.

 

[HuGort]

Hage will be a top 6 player.

If Hage makes top 2 center be great. Move Dach to wing. I always thought he'd make a better winger

 

[KevSkillz4]

If Hage makes top 2 center be great. Move Dach to wing. I always thought he'd make it a better winger

I don't know if Dach is a better winger than C, but he is a very very good RW aswell. I would be very happy to see Hage to be the centerman of Caufield and Dach!

 

[Wateredgarden]

Micheal Hage
Micheal Hagelo
Micheal Angelo
Angelo
Jell-O

That's his nickname now... Jell-O