Hage has similarities with Pacioretty, says Pierre McGuire

At the last draft, the Habs clearly wanted to improve their first-round forward group. Ivan Demidov, selected fifth, was a big piece of the pie, but he wasn’t alone.

Michael Hage, drafted 21st, saw his dream come true when he heard his name on the Habs’ roster.

The youngster left a good first impression at the Habs development camp, and some are thinking big for him.

However, in the latest episode of The Eye Test podcast, Pierre McGuire answered a question about the potential of the Habs prospect, and brought up an interesting name.

In fact, McGuire sees similarities between Hage and… Pacioretty.

The analyst insists that the two guys aren’t exactly identical and that he doesn’t want to put a ton of pressure on the kid (and that’s why he didn’t say he was Pacioretty in the making). That said, in terms of both guys’ athleticism, there are similarities.

In Hage, he sees a player who, like Pacioretty, could score 25-35 goals a season.

Still, it’s a little surprising to see a maverick like Pacioretty used as a comparison, given that since his selection, it’s been the Tricolore prospect’s skating ability that has attracted most of the attention. It’s not because he has a bad shot, far from it, but it’s mainly because we’re already talking about one of the best skaters in the organization.

A good skating stroke doesn’t necessarily make a good player, but it doesn’t hurt either, we agree.

That said, as much as McGuire likes Hage’s potential, he recognizes that the youngster could tear it up a bit in the NCAA this season. McGuire notes that the NCAA is better than it’s ever been, and for one last year, there are guys who will play a fifth year in the circuit.

It’s a measure that was adopted so as not to hurt the guys who saw the pandemic rob them of a year of eligibility.

But that doesn’t stop the analyst from liking Hage’s potential. And if he becomes a player in the Pacioretty mold, he’ll have been a hell of a catch at No. 21.

Overtime

– John Tavares remains a top-quality player.

Since signing in Toronto, John Tavares is top-30 in the NHL in:

– Goals
– Points
– Even-strength goals
– Even-strength points
– Powerplay goals
– Powerplay points
– Game-winning-goals
– Faceoff percentage

Maybe not top-10 in the game anymore, but JT is still really good. pic.twitter.com/C6oD0CQ0Ak

– Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) July 31, 2024