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

KevSkillz4

Registered User
Apr 11, 2016
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We are all excited about Demidov (with reason), but Hage is very special aswell.

The skillset he show so far in NCAA, that's a skillset of a 60-70 pts player in NHL. This guy have elite skating and hands. His hockey IQ, very very good. Good shoot aswell.

I'm so happy with the future of Habs.
 

BoneHutson

Registered User
Mar 26, 2023
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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.
I get Demidov and Hage but how tf are Thorpe, Florian, Sawyer all better than Roy?! Jesus christ the takes on this thread.
 

KevSkillz4

Registered User
Apr 11, 2016
8,138
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I get Demidov and Hage but how tf are Thorpe, Florian, Sawyer all better than Roy?! Jesus christ the takes on this thread.

I really like Sawyer, but I agree with you. Roy is ahead of them in term of offensive talent and potential. They are all bottom 6 potential. Roy can already play in bottom 6 with top 6 potential.
 

Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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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.
Probably as wrong as when you said Cedrik Guindon would be better than him.
 

Gally11

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Sep 20, 2010
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Toronto
Over a year ago I got mocked by several posters for saying he's a dime'o'dozen prospect. I guess that realization still hasn't come to some.

That’s a bit much lol, he had a bad camp but still an awesome prospect. Not Hage or anything but has great middle six upside
 

Grate n Colorful Oz

The Hutson Hawk
Jun 12, 2007
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Hockey Mecca
What are you talking about? There aren't that many players with 2nd line/elite 3rd line capability.

Pure overevaluation based on your perception of him on a weak team where he can be slotted higher and have more opportunities. He wouldn't get close to the top 6 on a stacked team and he's not an elite 3rd liner. Ask that question to yourself.

There are literally 400 to 500 forwards in the league who are equal or better than him, and the % goes the same for prospects. Every team has a few prospects like that.

Oliver Kapanen is already outshining him while having zero NHL experience. We have many other prospects who may also outshine him in the next couple of years.

Elite 3rd liner! SMDH
 

Boss Man Hughes

Registered User
Mar 15, 2022
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Pure overevaluation based on your perception of him on a weak team where he can be slotted higher and have more opportunities. He wouldn't get close to the top 6 on a stacked team and he's not an elite 3rd liner. Ask that question to yourself.

There are literally 400 to 500 forwards in the league who are equal or better than him, and the % goes the same for prospects. Every team has a few prospects like that.

Oliver Kapanen is already outshining him while having zero NHL experience. We have many other prospects who may also outshine him in the next couple of years.

Elite 3rd liner! SMDH
He can be a great 3rd line forward. I'll take Bedard's word for it. He will have to give 100% though.
 
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Habs

It's going to be a long year
Feb 28, 2002
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Which screams dime'o'dozen. Every team has one or two of those. Nothing to write home about.
I agree, I see nothing special here at all thus far. I also got roasted for labeling him a dime a dozen prospect. Every team has 3-4 players just like him.

This Hage kid looks promising, I had NEVER heard of him before the draft but damn he's smoothe out there.
 
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Mrb1p

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Dec 10, 2011
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Which screams dime'o'dozen. Every team has one or two of those. Nothing to write home about.
Dime a dozen ? Who's the last prospect the habs graduated with a similar profile ? Lekhonen ?

He'll probably carve out a career as a bottom sixer. Maybe a bonafide 3rd liner in his prime, but I doubt he'll be top 6 material. I may be wrong, but I don't see qualities that will later translate to a top 6 roll on an average to succesful team.
Why is this such a bad thing ? That's such a weird statement.

1. That doesn't make him a dime a dozen prospect.
2. Should we trade every single prospect we have /Demidov and Hage ?
 

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
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Hage will be a top 6 player.
That would be great. Especially if he's a top 6 player that either beats out one of Caufield, Suzuki, Slaf, Dach, Laine, or Demidov, pushing them to the 3rd line, or himself is on the 3rd line even though he's a top 6 talent. Would be great for our offense.
 

Intangir

Registered User
Aug 14, 2008
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Montreal, QC
Devils would have to make the playoffs and Allen would have to play 40 or more games to make it a 2nd round pick.

Hage looks great! What a debut! Did he commit for 2 years at Michigan? I hope the team can sign him to a ELC before the season is over.

He's there for 4 years unless we sign him before that, which is the norm for players going the NCAA route.

As far as signing Hage before the season is over, well, I mean no disrespect but I really think that it would be too soon and would be a mistake.

I really like Hage's game overall, and he HAS shown good progression from January 2024 to now. But I feel that two years in the NCAA would do wonders for his development, like it did for Caufield and Hutson more recently.

Hage still needs to get much stronger physically, get better/more active along the boards, refine his reads even more off-the-puck, and better himself defensively if he wants to be a long-term top-6 center.

The NCAA is a step below the AHL but still a good league to refine defensive play in given how much more structured the game is there as opposed to the CHL. Then you add-in the fact that it's also the perfect place for him to bulk-up with more gym time and less games than any other NA league, and Michigan's training facilities are world-class to boot.

So yeah, it's a no-brainer for me to have Hage stay at least two years there. At least, that's how I feel right now.

But if Hage shows development throughout the year and shows amazing performance after amazing performance for the Wolverines this season then we would need to re-evaluate him of course.

Just, barring that meteoric rise as a prospect that I've described, I'd still prefer if we took our time a bit.
 

Whalers Fan

Go Habs!
Sep 24, 2012
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He's there for 4 years unless we sign him before that, which is the norm for players going the NCAA route.

As far as signing Hage before the season is over, well, I mean no disrespect but I really think that it would be too soon and would be a mistake.

I really like Hage's game overall, and he HAS shown good progression from January 2024 to now. But I feel that two years in the NCAA would do wonders for his development, like it did for Caufield and Hutson more recently.

Hage still needs to get much stronger physically, get better/more active along the boards, refine his reads even more off-the-puck, and better himself defensively if he wants to be a long-term top-6 center.

The NCAA is a step below the AHL but still a good league to refine defensive play in given how much more structured the game is there as opposed to the CHL. Then you add-in the fact that it's also the perfect place for him to bulk-up with more gym time and less games than any other NA league, and Michigan's training facilities are world-class to boot.

So yeah, it's a no-brainer for me to have Hage stay at least two years there. At least, that's how I feel right now.

But if Hage shows development throughout the year and shows amazing performance after amazing performance for the Wolverines this season then we would need to re-evaluate him of course.

Just, barring that meteoric rise as a prospect that I've described, I'd still prefer if we took our time a bit.
Agreed. I think the plan with Hage will be similar to that of Caufield and Hutson - - two years in NCAA, and then sign an ELC once that 2nd season is completed, if he's ready to move up. Remember, Hage missed some development time in the past year due to injury and his father passing. Rushing him to the NHL would be a mistake.
 
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26Mats

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Jun 23, 2018
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Agreed. I think the plan with Hage will be similar to that of Caufield and Hutson - - two years in NCAA, and then sign an ELC once that 2nd season is completed, if he's ready to move up. Remember, Hage missed some development time in the past year due to injury and his father passing. Rushing him to the NHL would be a mistake.
Agreed. Plus Hage has a lean frame. He may need to fill out, and time to do so.
 
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