A third year in the NCAA for Michael Hage: Not so fast…

Michael Hage is one of the top prospects in the Canadiens' organization.

He's seen as a young player with the skills to play in the top six of an NHL team, but he may still need a little more time before he gets there.

That's one of the main reasons he's said he wants to return for a third season in the NCAA. He wants to work on his game as a center and add some weight to his frame as well. But not so fast…

If we're to believe what Jeff Gorton said earlier this afternoon, Michael Hage might change his mind.

The Canadiens' VP mentioned that the organization wants to give him time to think things over… and we gathered, indirectly, that there's a possibility Hage could make the jump to the National Hockey League for next season.

And that might just be a game-changer.

Jeff Gorton, when asked if Habs prospect Michael Hage will return to Michigan next season:

“That's a good question. We've talked to Michael a lot. He's told us that he would like to stay in school, and we've kind of left it at that. But we also told him to take some time. It's a long… pic.twitter.com/IjpERdv0Pz

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 25, 2026

The Canadiens believe Hage is ready.

The player, for his part, is considering going back to college for the reasons mentioned earlier in the article… but also to win the NCAA championship. And he'd have the team to achieve that goal because the University of Michigan squad will be extremely talented in '26–'27 (especially if Hage is there).

But if Hage decides to make the leap to the NHL, that could give the Canadiens some breathing room (and possibly provide them with a top-six option right from the start of next season).

The matter is far from settled because these things are subject to negotiation.

And let's just say that Jeff Gorton's comments are still interesting… because they open up a certain possibility for both the player and the organization.

Extension

Speaking of prospects…

It's worth noting that Gorton mentioned this: Alexander Zharovsky will play the final year of his contract in Russia, and we'll see what the plan is for him after that.

Could he, like Ivan Demidov, join the Canadiens at the end of his KHL season? Stay tuned…