The Bad News in the Michael Hage Case

So, the Canadiens are still trying to convince Michael Hage to sign his entry-level contract right now? Interesting.

I can't say I'm surprised. After all, as soon as the news broke about his desire to return to Michigan, I wrote a piece expressing my doubts.

The guy still has every right to change his mind.

I don't necessarily think, at this point, that Hage will change his mind. But I can't say I'm surprised to see the Canadiens pushing to get him to change his mind.

But of course, seeing the Habs push so hard like this, I see two pieces of bad news.

First, if Hage has chosen to return to the NCAA, it's largely because he feels that playing at that level will help him achieve his goal of developing properly.

Would playing professionally in 2026 hinder his development?

Jeff Marek: Re: Canadiens/centers: I still believe they're trying to sign Michael Hage at Michigan, but we'll see – The Sheet (7/31)

— NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) August 1, 2026

But above all, if the Habs are still pushing to sign him, it's undoubtedly because they aren't on the verge of filling all their needs by the end of the offseason.

Otherwise, why bring in the young player when there are already options on the table?

In my view, this is simply another sign that the Canadiens aren't about to fill all their needs. It's no surprise, since teams don't make many big moves more than a month after free agency opens, but still.

The story continues to generate a lot of buzz, in any case. And if HuGo had succeeded in his summer mission, we wouldn't be in this situation.

In a nutshell

– Read this.

Canadiens prospect Alexander Zharovsky opens up about his summer in Montreal: training with Ivan Demidov, a Datsyuk-style shootout move, and being recognized by fans before playing a single NHL game. Full story https://t.co/eruy2Ge2SG

— RG (@TheRGMedia) August 3, 2026

– Pierre Dagenais talks about his son. [BPM Sports]

– For those who want to hear me talk about baseball: