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

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0 goal in the last 7 games.
1 pass in the last 4 games.

Another case of the eye test and stats not matching up.

Hage is getting/creating chances to score or make a decisive pass multiples times each game but just hasn't managed to "find twine" recently.

Those sorts of streaks happen.

The important thing is to watch and see how a player faces that adversity, and how/if they rebound from it.

In the end, I think Hage will find a way to get back to producing offense for his team and that this is just a small bump on the road.

Hage is at least another year-and-a-half in the NCAA away from likely joining the Laval Rocket in the AHL for the 2026-2027 season.

I'd say that Hage would then need at least another half-season to adapt to the pro game, and then he could start playing for us.

So yeah, Hage's at least 2 years away from NHL ice barring a dramatic change of events. There's still ample amounts of time for him to develop and we should be patient with him.
 
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Wow, you get me excited. Hopefully it's true :)
Hage is one of our prospects that you should be excited about. Significantly under drafted last year, Hage’s elite skills may well allow him to be one of the best players to come out of his draft class. His injury history allowed him to drop to us.

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
 
0 goal in the last 7 games.
1 pass in the last 4 games.

Production has been less lately yes. However, the points is not the sole evaluation. How the player is driving play and creating things out there matters more. Hage is an 18 year on a team with lack of pt/game players but he is one of their leaders early on which gives us some level of context when we look past the points.

Looks like a gamer to me. At this early stage, I would say his base in the NHL is middle 6F type. Look at what Kapanen is today and add more value. However, Hage has to continue to put the work in.
 
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Hage is one of our prospects that you should be excited about. Significantly under drafted last year, Hage’s elite skills may well allow him to be one of the best players to come out of his draft class. His injury history allowed him to drop to us.

" It’s better to be lucky than good. "
My favourite saying!!
 
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With a goal and 2 assists yesterday, Hage now has 28 points in 25 games.

His point per game average (1.12) is right there at the top with James Hagens (1.13) for rookie (freshman) scoring. While Hagens is a 2025 draft eligible, he's only 7 months younger than Hage.

2024 draft class comparables

18th- Sacha Boisvert- 25 GP, 9 G, 10 A= 19 PTS (0.76 PtPG)
19th- Trevor Connelly- 15 GP, 3 G, 8 A= 11 PTS (0.73 PtPG)
20th- Cole Eiserman- 23 GP, 15 G, 7 A= 22 PTS (0.96 PtPG)
21st- Michael Hage- 25 GP, 12 G, 16 A= 28 PTS (1.12 PtPG)
 
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With a goal and 2 assists yesterday, Hage now has 28 points in 25 games.

His point per game average (1.12) is right there at the top with James Hagens (1.13) for rookie (freshman) scoring. While Hagens is a 2025 draft eligible, he's only 7 months younger than Hage.

2024 draft class comparables

18th- Sacha Boisvert- 25 GP, 9 G, 10 A= 19 PTS (0.76 PtPG)
19th- Trevor Connelly- 15 GP, 3 G, 8 A= 11 PTS (0.73 PtPG)
20th- Cole Eiserman- 23 GP, 15 G, 7 A= 22 PTS (0.96 PtPG)
21st- Michael Hage- 25 GP, 12 G, 16 A= 28 PTS (1.12 PtPG)

*with no supporting cast
 
With a goal and 2 assists yesterday, Hage now has 28 points in 25 games.

His point per game average (1.12) is right there at the top with James Hagens (1.13) for rookie (freshman) scoring. While Hagens is a 2025 draft eligible, he's only 7 months younger than Hage.

2024 draft class comparables

18th- Sacha Boisvert- 25 GP, 9 G, 10 A= 19 PTS (0.76 PtPG)
19th- Trevor Connelly- 15 GP, 3 G, 8 A= 11 PTS (0.73 PtPG)
20th- Cole Eiserman- 23 GP, 15 G, 7 A= 22 PTS (0.96 PtPG)
21st- Michael Hage- 25 GP, 12 G, 16 A= 28 PTS (1.12 PtPG)
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He needs one more season after this one to get stronger. He should sign right after his sophomore season.

I'm hoping next year his supporting cast is a little stronger. Their top scorers should all be back next season and 1 year older, so hopefully that helps. They also have a freshman by the name of Cole Mckinney (2025 draft eligible) who should be joining them next season, but it will more or less be the same roster as this season subtracting a few seniors who are graduating.
 
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It will be interesting to see what is the plan for Hage.

Assuming he stays for a second year at Michigan where he dominates (think >1.5-2pts per game in average):

Will he replace Laine, and be on a line with his contemporary Demidov (with Dach centering)?
Hage (20)-Dach (25)-Demidov (20) (age)
That would imply Montreal not signing Laine to an extension

If Montreal signs Laine to an extension, then is Hage:
- Starting on the third line, as a winger?
- Starting on the third line, as a center?
- Starting on the second line, as a center replacing Dach?
 
Contrast to Galchenyuk. I'm not sure if he had that IQ and maturity. But I do know ow that his lack of defensive play and all around game was a serious problem. Begs the question if that was the case years after the draft, that it must have been the case when he was drafted. So why in the world did we keep him up and let him play under a coach who stated clearly that it wasn't his job to develop players, instead of sending him back to juniors and work on that defensive game.

Maybe Galchenyuk was never going to be a top 6C , but Bergevin made sure he wouldn't have a chance due to his incompetence at handling him.
Galchenyuk got a 30 goals season.
This was the player selected by Timmins and Bergevin at the draft. What Galchenyuk became after, was all on his own shoulders; Nightlife, alcohol, drug...and add his father that had a very bad influence on his son. General managers aren't babysitting their players
 

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