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

[Estimated_Prophet]

You're probably right but I think Briere is just a horrible GM.

Why not draft Helenius there if you're going C?

I absolutely loved all 3 of Helenius, Luchanko and Hage prior to the draft. Helenius fell too far and Luchanko deserved to go as high as he did and Hage should not have slipped to 21. Luchanko and Hage were the 2 forwards that I was really hoping would fall to us at 21. As there was so much unpredictability at that point in the draft that there was a good chance that we were getting a very good player.

 

[Scintillating10]

Just for FUN lol, not comparing to confirm, and Fantilli is no shadow of a doubt better
But for FUN

Fantilli turns 17 on October 12 , 2021
Spends all year as a 17 yr old in the USHL
Chicago Steel 54 GP 37G 37A 74 PTS
Turns 18 October 2022, spends whole 18 yr old season in NCAA, Gets drafted 3rd OV June 2023

Michael Hage turns 17 on April 14 2023
Spends following season in USHL beginning Sept 2023
Chicago Steel 54 GP 33G 42A 75PTS
Turns 18 on April 14 2024 at end of season
Drafted 21OV June 2024
Will spend whole 18 yr old season @ Michigan (same as Fantilli)

Pretty good! Just for FUN lol
Hope Hage's NCAA season goes similarly to Fantilli's
Board wouldn't be able to handle it lmao

Good company, Hage 6 months older his second USHL year. He could be like Hutson, steal of the draft

 

[NotProkofievian]

If he become top 6 version of Jack Eichel, I'm very very happy. I think also he play like him. If he is the version of him with 60-65 pts per year, that's a huge win for the rebuild.

More I read about Michael Hage and More I believe that he is going to be a really good one.

What is top 6 version of Eichel? Like, just some guy? Sounds like the world's tallest midget.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

The Habs measured him today

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808608644910723426

He was measured at just under 6'1" at the combine so we know that he could not have shrunk but we don't know which measurement is correct. There is no reason to believe that one is definitely more accurate than the other although I would suspect that the combine measurement is more formal and more tightly regulated.

8:30 AM​

• Andrew Basha: 5-foot-11.25, 187 pounds.
• Berkly Catton: 5-foot-10.25, 175 pounds.
• Macklin Celebrini: 5-foot-11.75, 197 pounds.
• Michael Hage: 6-foot-0.75, 188 pounds.
• Tanner Howe: 5-foot-10, 184 pounds.
• Tomas Lavoie: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds (note: unconfirmed, did not see his name on the board.)
• Miguel Marques: 5-foot-10.25, 187 pounds.

 

[FrankMTL]

USHL Stats from January 1st onwards:

Michael Hage- 28 GP- 22 goals, 26 assists- 48 Points

Trevor Connelly- 29 GP- 22 goals, 27 assists- 49 Points

Sacha Boisvert- 32 GP- 18 goals , 20 assists- 40 Points

Matvei Gridin- 31 GP- 23 goals, 26 assists- 49 points


All fairly close in regards to points and all drafted fairly close to each other.

 

[Jaynki]

Get the feeling the Flyers are avoiding players going to the NCAA now because of what happened with Gauthier. There’s really no reason to pick Luchanko ahead of Hage if you’re desperate for a centre.

Typical Flyers move.

Avoid the best development league in the modern era instead of fixing your shitty organisation.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Hey Habs fans, I posted this over on the prospects board, but saw there was an active thread here too. I know it's Demidov-mania over here...for good reason. But I broke down a portion of Michael Hage's game that some may find mildly interesting...

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808564999234662601

Probably one of many great memories of him his brother and his father.

 

[HabzSauce]

I absolutely loved all 3 of Helenius, Luchanko and Hage prior to the draft. Helenius fell too far and Luchanko deserved to go as high as he did and Hage should not have slipped to 21. Luchanko and Hage were the 2 forwards that I was really hoping would fall to us at 21. As there was so much unpredictability at that point in the draft that there was a good chance that we were getting a very good player.

who do you like better between Hage and Lucuanko?

 

[WeThreeKings]

who do you like better between Hage and Lucuanko?

Hage has the higher offensive upside so I like that for us with what we have in Beck/Kapanen already. Luchanko has all the details though, more rounded center and more pathways to the NHL. I had Luchanko 17 and Hage 18.

 

[Tyson]

Hage has the higher offensive upside so I like that for us with what we have in Beck/Kapanen already. Luchanko has all the details though, more rounded center and more pathways to the NHL. I had Luchanko 17 and Hage 18.

Sounds like Jett is more of a Owen Beck type of player?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Sounds like Jett is more of a Owen Beck type of player?

That's correct.

 

[yianik]

Good company, Hage 6 months older his second USHL year. He could be like Hutson, steal of the draft

Hey Habs fans, I posted this over on the prospects board, but saw there was an active thread here too. I know it's Demidov-mania over here...for good reason. But I broke down a portion of Michael Hage's game that some may find mildly interesting...

Thanks for this, found it interesting. What do you think his chances are of being a 2nd line player ?

What do you think of Demidov and his ceiling ?

Drop by anytime.

 

[HabzSauce]

Hage has the higher offensive upside so I like that for us with what we have in Beck/Kapanen already. Luchanko has all the details though, more rounded center and more pathways to the NHL. I had Luchanko 17 and Hage 18.

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

 

[WeThreeKings]

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

I can see it where they picked him but I think they'll like it later on. He's a great player.

 

[Andrei79]

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

They picked a really good player, just like us with Reinbacher last year. The issue is that Buium was still on board, that's why they seemed pissed.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

I thought they hated the pick because Buium was sitting right there. Luchanko is a good prospect, but Buium could be the best D or even player from this draft.

Same kind of idea as last year when Montreal passed on Michkov for Reinbacher.

 

[morhilane]

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

Like I said in the draft page at the time, picking Jett at #12/#13 was "a choice". They probably wanted to trade down a bit more (since they didn't want Buium), but the team right after them really wanted Buium so that's the end result.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

They picked a really good player, just like us with Reinbacher last year. The issue is that Buium was still on board, that's why they seemed pissed.

A large segment of our fan based were pissed that we passed on Wright. Some still are. How did that outrage turn out?

Luchanko is an excellent skater who has a high motor. He will be fine. Maybe even finer than Hage.

 

[Wateredgarden]

This pick will Hage well.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Nice I gotta watch more of Luchanko - I didn't watch him play at all prior to the draft.

Flyers sub absolutely hated the pick - maybe they've warmed up by now tho. Never seen a fanbase so unanimously in disgust with a 1st round pick lmao

Luchanko is Suzuki with more speed and a much worse shot

 

[rahad]

A large segment of our fan based were pissed that we passed on Wright. Some still are. How did that outrage turn out?

Luchanko is an excellent skater who has a high motor. He will be fine. Maybe even finer than Hage.

I saw people compare him to Nick Suzuki in the draft day. It could be a good comparison for Luchanko.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Thanks for this, found it interesting. What do you think his chances are of being a 2nd line player ?

What do you think of Demidov and his ceiling ?

Drop by anytime.

Glad to hear it.

Chance of being a 2nd liner? At the beginning of the year, I would have said 3 or 5%. I used the term of "empty" and "hollow skill player" in our meetings and in my conversations with other scouts. There was little pushback.

Now...? It's higher. It's hard to put a number on it, but it's higher. But like I said in the video, there's more to the game than just crossing the blueline with the puck on his stick. I have concerns. But I have concerns with the guy that went 20. I have concerns with the guy that went 19. That's how it goes.

Last year, a team took a player in this area that I had as a no draft. With Hage, at least there's a pick that has a chance to be a productive player. I think he's more of a top six or bust type of player, because I'm not sure that I've seen any signs of a "B" game. But he spent all year on a team that had one line and he was it. What will he add to his game at Michigan where he likely won't be a top liner? That will be important to track too. Adding some sort of "B" game or "C" game increases your chances of hanging around in the NHL, right? Who becomes 3rd and 4th liners? Guys that fail down. 3rd liners in juniors don't become 3rd liners in the NHL, they work the concession stand.

I'm a U.S. scout so Demidov isn't my territory, so I haven't studied his game to be honest. From what I have seen - as I generally pop in a few games just to get a sense of what else is out there - he'd pretty clearly be my #2 prospect in this draft. Again, at a glance, I liked his game more than Michkov's. Better pop, more balanced attacker, more involved in the interior. The ceiling is a top line playdriver. I don't have a hold of his game to really do a player comp with great confidence, but it felt a little Kaprizov-y in my viewings.

I was very excited to see him land Montreal. Not because I'm a Habs fan, but because I want this team to have a superstar.

 

[yianik]

Glad to hear it.

Chance of being a 2nd liner? At the beginning of the year, I would have said 3 or 5%. I used the term of "empty" and "hollow skill player" in our meetings and in my conversations with other scouts. There was little pushback.

Now...? It's higher. It's hard to put a number on it, but it's higher. But like I said in the video, there's more to the game than just crossing the blueline with the puck on his stick. I have concerns. But I have concerns with the guy that went 20. I have concerns with the guy that went 19. That's how it goes.

Last year, a team took a player in this area that I had as a no draft. With Hage, at least there's a pick that has a chance to be a productive player. I think he's more of a top six or bust type of player, because I'm not sure that I've seen any signs of a "B" game. But he spent all year on a team that had one line and he was it. What will he add to his game at Michigan where he likely won't be a top liner? That will be important to track too. Adding some sort of "B" game or "C" game increases your chances of hanging around in the NHL, right? Who becomes 3rd and 4th liners? Guys that fail down. 3rd liners in juniors don't become 3rd liners in the NHL, they work the concession stand.

I'm a U.S. scout so Demidov isn't my territory, so I haven't studied his game to be honest. From what I have seen - as I generally pop in a few games just to get a sense of what else is out there - he'd pretty clearly be my #2 prospect in this draft. Again, at a glance, I liked his game more than Michkov's. Better pop, more balanced attacker, more involved in the interior. The ceiling is a top line playdriver. I don't have a hold of his game to really do a player comp with great confidence, but it felt a little Kaprizov-y in my viewings.

I was very excited to see him land Montreal. Not because I'm a Habs fan, but because I want this team to have a superstar.

What you are saying in terms of Hages chances to be a 2nd liner is in line with where he was taken. Stats say a guy taken in the last 3rd of the 1st have that 10-20% chance of being a top 6F. From your video he was learning , executing and developing his game. Hopefully that continues.

Thanks for the comments on B game etc. Lots of times people post that a pick was good because at least he has a shot of being a 4th liner. But Gorton himself said to his scouts not to draft a kid to be a role player of 4th liner, it's the guys who are projected to be the better players who don't meet those expectations that become the role players and 4th liners. Historically the Habs all too often drafted guys whose ceiling was tweeners or no.5 D men and they just didn't make it except for a few games.

Nice on Demidov. And yeah, for a change ,the Habs need a dynamic player the likes of Kovalev, PK.

 Cheers

 

[Frankenheimer]

He was measured at just under 6'1" at the combine so we know that he could not have shrunk but we don't know which measurement is correct. There is no reason to believe that one is definitely more accurate than the other although I would suspect that the combine measurement is more formal and more tightly regulated.

8:30 AM​

• Andrew Basha: 5-foot-11.25, 187 pounds.
• Berkly Catton: 5-foot-10.25, 175 pounds.
• Macklin Celebrini: 5-foot-11.75, 197 pounds.
• Michael Hage: 6-foot-0.75, 188 pounds.
• Tanner Howe: 5-foot-10, 184 pounds.
• Tomas Lavoie: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds (note: unconfirmed, did not see his name on the board.)
• Miguel Marques: 5-foot-10.25, 187 pounds.

Seems like getting height and weight correctly shouldnt be a huge challenge.

Like I said in the draft page at the time, picking Jett at #12/#13 was "a choice". They probably wanted to trade down a bit more (since they didn't want Buium), but the team right after them really wanted Buium so that's the end result.

They probably could have traded much further down if Luchanko was the target and got a higher return. He would have been there at 17-18.

5 spots = interesting asset.