Top-15 CH prospects: Positions 6 and 5

Today, we continue our countdown of the Habs’ top prospects with two talented players who will be playing in the NCAA this season.

The first will make an expected debut with the University of Michigan in a leading role, and the second will continue his journey with Boston College, which should feature a much weaker line-up this season following the departures to the NHL of some big names…

Let’s get started!

6. Michael Hage | Last ranking: none
Potential: 35.5/40
Insurance: 15.5/20
Utility/Rarity: 24/30
Trade value: 7.5/10

Total: 82.5/100

It seems ages since I’ve mentioned a new player in this countdown! Well, maybe it hasn’t been that long (there were three last year!), but you get my point: Michael Hage is the first real new hope of the 2024 countdown and, in itself, that’s refreshing!

The native of Oakville, a suburb of Toronto, spent a few years in the Montreal area and won over many fans with his excellent French following his selection by the Habs.

A brilliant young man, Hage was thrilled to have been drafted by his favorite club, which was also the favorite club of his father, who tragically passed away last summer.

After a disappointing start to the fall season – understandable under the circumstances – Hage recovered before the holidays and never looked back, becoming one of the best players in the USHL.

In terms of potential, from where I’m standing, he doesn’t look any “worse” than a certain Trevor Connelly, chosen two spots ahead of him, and it will be just as interesting to see how he compares with Cole Eiserman, the Islanders’ 20th-place pick.

If many believe that these two Americans have the potential to become star players in the NHL, why would it be any different for Hage, who certainly has nothing to envy them in terms of skating, size, puck handling/speed and hockey IQ?

At least, that’s what the Habs seem to have thought, as they estimated a 20% chance that Hage would still be available at No. 21, as we learned in the recently released behind-the-scenes video.

Hage may not have as good a shot as Eiserman, but that remains one of his great strengths, which is definitely not the case with Connelly.

The two Americans also have personalities or characters that make many people tick…

As to whether Hage will reach his potential, it’s often difficult to predict what the careers of the youngsters who dominated the USHL will be like. Remember that some had high hopes for little Sean Farrell…

But, unlike Farrell, Hage is a much more complete player.

His little defensive “absences” are easily corrected, and the red flags and character question marks are non-existent in his case.

What’s more, with his personal history, Hage is clearly driven by a special fire to play for this team. It transcends.

That’s the kind of intangible that speaks to me.

In short, for a player from the USHL, our level of confidence in him is pretty high: Hage seems to have a good chance of reaching his potential.

In the medium term, most observers expect him to carve out a place on an offensive line – probably more on the wing? – or become one of the NHL’s top third-line centers in a future contender.

As things stand, if the Habs keep Laine beyond his current contract, the latter prediction will hold even more water…

At the very least, he’ll be a damn fine insurance policy for a guy like Kirby Dach, who’s been injured more often than not so far in his young career.

I don’t think Hage’s overall potential is exactly on the same level as Dach’s, but he’s really not that far off… A light version, pretty close to the original…

If the Habs worked hard at the last draft to secure Hage from 26th to 21st, it certainly wasn’t with the idea of trading him in the near future. So don’t expect Hage’s name to come up in any trade rumors anytime soon.

Hage is expected to play for the Canadiens no later than the fall of 2026. Once he reaches physical maturity, he won’t stay too long at the University of Michigan, and may never play in the AHL, or very little…

5. Jacob Fowler | Last ranking: 12th
Potential: 36/40
Insurance: 16/20
Usefulness/Rarity: 25/30
Trade value: 7.5/10

Total: 84.5/100

Future number one goalkeeper.

Let’s just say it’s been a while since we’ve said that so confidently about a Montreal prospect in front of the net.

We’ve always liked Primeau and we certainly don’t dislike Dobes, but let’s just say that their path to the NHL has been, and may yet be, a little winding. In both their cases, the notion of a future #1 goalie comes very naturally to mind…

But, even for Fowler, we weren’t so confident about him last year in our analysis.

However, his performances, his talent, the fact that he took his diet seriously, but above all Fowler’s feisty temperament and absolutely unshakeable character, downright smoking in season and playoffs for Boston College, impressed us to no end.

Here’s the STOP that directly contributed to Boston University and Lane Hutson’s defeat in the Frozen Four semi-finals:

A few days later, only the team of the excellent Zeev Buium (Denver) finally denied Fowler the chance to win it all in his rookie year in the NCAA, as he also finished among the three finalists for the Mike Richter Award, presented to the best goalkeeper on the college circuit.

To earn this consideration, the American had posted a record of 32-6-1, a goals-against average of 2.14 and a save percentage of .926, ranking first for winning percentage (.855) in the regular season.

Boston College had a devastating forward line with the likes of Gauthier, Smith, Perreault and Leonard, but lacked an exceptional defensive brigade. In fact, BC didn’t field any backs selected before the 3rd round and relied on several unknowns who were never drafted.

Fowler thus had to save his share of games in his first year at university, and this will be even more the case next year.

We were just a little disappointed that the USA chose Trey Augustine for the gold medal match at the CMJ, a tournament in which Fowler also participated. But that didn’t put a blot on our Fowler record. He had been generally solid in the three games he was lucky enough to play in front of the net.

Of course, our lad isn’t the only Habs goalie prospect to have excelled in the American college system – we’ve just named two in Primeau and Dobes! – but it’s his performances and staggering statistics in the USHL that set him apart.

It was this two-season stint, where he ended up winning it all after initially being snubbed, that made him an early third-round pick (69th), unlike the very late rounds in which Primeau (7th) and Dobes (5th) were selected.

And today, Fowler is seen by many as THE best goalie of the entire 2023 draft, ahead of the likes of Gajan (35th), Hrabal (38th) and this same Augustine (41st), according to more and more people in the industry.

So scout Billy Ryan (see at 7m30s) doesn’t seem to have been wrong about him!

Observers are pretty much unanimous, ranking Fowler as one of the best prospects among drafted goalies yet to play in the NHL. Last month, Scott Wheeler ranked him 3^rd behind only the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt and the Predators’ Yaroslav Askarov.

Was Askarov worth it with Fowler in the picture?
Now, speaking of Askarov, would it have been worth it for Hughes and Gorton to offer more than the Sharks did (young center prospect David Edstrom, 23-year-old goaltender Magnus Chrona and a 1st pick in 2025) to secure his services?

To offer more than the Sharks, HuGo would have had to give, at the very least, something like Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler and a first-round pick next year.

To the eye, that would be the equivalent of three first-round picks!

But since Askarov isn’t Montreal, the Habs logically offered Primeau or Dobes in place of top prospect Fowler and were told “no”.

I didn’t see the big need to go after a goalie like Askarov, either now (Montembeault and Primeau are a good duo) or in three or four years with Fowler in the picture.

In fact, The Athletic ranked the Habs organization 4th in the entire NHL in front of the net last month, just three slots behind Nashville in first place. With Askarov gone, it’s safe to assume that the Habs are now third!

Of course, the Russian sensation is seen as a rare talent in his position, an exceptional athlete and a spectacular goalie with star potential. But the guy seems to have a rather “special” personality.

And it’s clear from his comments, when he said he was ready for the NHL last winter before asking to be traded this summer, that he clearly doesn’t think he’s a bad…

From what I gather, and for what it’s worth, I don’t think Askarov was a personality everyone in Nashville liked – why have they been actively trying to trade such a talented goalie for the past two years? – and I don’t think it would have been much different in the Canadiens’ locker room, where egos are left at the door…

But above all, despite the recent victories of Vasilevskiy and Bobrovsky, who both earn huge salaries, it’s been proven over and over again in recent years that you can win the Stanley Cup with goalies with modest profiles (Hill, Kuemper, Billington, Murray, Crawford) behind clubs that are simply well built. These are goalkeepers who just did the job at the right time without breaking the bank.

But the Habs don’t just have “ordinary” goalies with “modest” profiles in their organization! It already has some good ones, even some very good ones, who without being seen as superstars or stars, easily rank as impact players in my eyes, and Fowler will probably be the best of the lot.

In short, as Shakespeare would say, if it ain’t broke, it ain’t broke.

If Fowler hasn’t been offered to the Preds, it’s because he’s important to the Habs and it’s hard to see how he could miss out on the NHL when the time comes.

And, most importantly, when you look closely at the team’s core and project it to maturity, the Habs shouldn’t need a Savior who will one day see himself earning $9M+.

A damn good Jack, with excellent skills and a steely character, will be more than enough. After Montembault, Fowler will certainly fit the bill.

As always, we’ll continue the respectful discussion on Facebook and Twitter!