Top 15 CH Prospects: Demidov, Hage, and Fowler on the Podium

Following last week's rankings from 6 to 4, today marks the conclusion of our annual list of the CH's 15 top prospects.

You'll find a summary of our analysis series at the end of this article.

But for now, let's dive into the final top 3!

3. Jacob Fowler, G

Potential: 35.5/40
Confidence: 16/20
Usage Value: 16/20
Trade Value: 15.5/20

Total: 83/100

I won't be very original here, and like many talent evaluators—even though I've been analyzing hockey seriously for over 25 years—I'll admit I'm no expert when it comes to goaltenders.

So, beyond what the “eye test” and statistics reveal, I rely heavily on what scouts and other experts say about goalies.

To that end, Scott Wheeler (The Athletic) ranked Fowler as the top NHL prospect among goalies as recently as last month. He had also placed him in that same position back in April.

I therefore rank Fowler accordingly, at No. 3 on this list of the Habs' top prospects, almost tied for second place…

Potential
Ever since he was drafted, some scouts—such as Billy Ryan of the Canadiens (9:30)—have believed that Fowler was possibly the best goaltender in the 2023 draft class. And let's just say that so far, the American seems to be proving them right.

Now 21 years old, his progress has been truly impressive, and it's easy to see why many believe he'll eventually become a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL. 

Absolutely unreal final minute from Jacob Fowler to seal the win.

Price-like. pic.twitter.com/bCq178Z3SF

— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) March 12, 2026

According to experts, Fowler is likely the organization's best goaltender in terms of technique, and his calm, composed demeanor inspires the utmost confidence in his teammates.   

The only slight “snag” when watching Fowler in net is, of course, the fact that he isn't the tallest goaltender (by modern standards), and that's rarely an advantage in an NHL filled with the many elite shooters wielding $600 sticks found on nearly every team. 

Could his technique and his calm, unassuming, and confident demeanor help him in the coming years to move ahead of Jakub Dobes, a taller and more experienced goaltender with a slightly more “unique” personality?

It's not impossible. But it's not a done deal either.

And that's all we can reasonably say at this point.

Confidence

After two very solid seasons at Boston College, Fowler was simply dominant in the AHL with Laval for just under a year. And let's just say he made a pretty good impression in his debut with the Canadiens, coming in as a backup for Dobes and Montembeault, who struggled to find consistency leading up to the holidays last season.

His first game against the Penguins last December had us absolutely thrilled, as we all remember: Habemus Cerberus!

Fowler had single-handedly turned the Habs' season around, which, up until then, had been struggling a bit due to the weakness of its goalies.

We know what happened next: Dobes found his form and really took off following Éric Raymond's dismissal and Marco Marciano's promotion in late January.

His second recall in March—after yet another failed attempt by Montembeault to get back on track—also delighted us with the boldness shown by the Habs' management and the confidence they demonstrated in their very young and promising goaltender.

In short, at 21 years old, no goaltender in the organization since Carey Price has inspired as much confidence in the Habs' fans and management, which is why he deserves a very solid 16 out of 20 for confidence. An excellent score for a young goaltender.

But will Fowler continue to improve, and will that be enough to unseat Dobes, who impressed the entire NHL during the last playoffs? 

To be continued…

Value to the Organization

Whether the answer to that last question is “yes” or “no,” Fowler is already highly valued by many people, starting with his bosses.

Obviously, if he replaces Dobes and becomes the trusted goaltender for a Cup-contending team—as many in Montreal anticipate—his value will be at its peak. 

In such a scenario, it would be surprising if the team decided to trade him. 

But even if he were to continue settling for the role of second fiddle behind his imposing Czech teammate, there will undoubtedly be a few—if not several—teams that will show interest in him. 

Whatever the highly controversial Corey Pronman may say (who ranks him as the 43rd-best prospect in the 2023 draft—in other words, a virtual unknown), right now, by a conservative estimate, his value would be roughly equivalent to that of a top-15—or even top-12—draft pick, a projection much closer to that of Scott Wheeler, who now ranks Fowler as the 10th-best prospect for 2023.

In short, not too shabby for a guy drafted 69th overall in 2023…   

So, whether we keep him or trade him, everything indicates that Fowler will help the Habs move forward.

And that's the defining quality of players who should be considered among the organization's most important prospects.

2. Michael Hage, C

Potential: 35.5/40
Confidence: 16/20
Usage Value: 16/20
Trade Value: 16/20

Total: 83.5/100

Just because he chose to return to Michigan in the NCAA for a third year doesn't mean Michael Hage will drop in this ranking. Oh. No. Way.

He continues to improve.

Potential

What is the ultimate potential of a 6'2”, 205-pound center who skates like the wind, has soft hands, above-average vision and hockey sense, and a devastating shot?

MICHAEL HAGE IS THE OVERTIME HERO FOR CANADA! WHAT A GOAL! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/hEknZN1q92

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2025

What is the ultimate potential of Michael Hage, who excelled in the NCAA from his very first season, recorded 54 points in 39 games during his second season, and was the most dominant player at the last World Juniors? 

If you answer “greater than Nick Suzuki's,” I'm not the one who's going to call you crazy.

At the same age, Hage is every bit as good as Suzuki and certainly possesses more natural offensive and athletic abilities.

But Suzuki has never stopped improving, has never been injured, and just won the Selke Trophy. Will that be the case for Hage?

So we need to keep an open mind. And we know that it's still the more defensive aspects of the game that Hage needs to continue refining.

Still, the Oakville, Ontario, native seems to possess the key qualities of a solid No. 1 center—or at the very least, a top-tier No. 2 center.

Confidence

As of now, there's not much to make us worry that Hage won't reach his full potential in the NHL—that of a center capable of recording 65 or more points per season, or even approaching a point-per-game average at his peak—which is pretty much the same thing people were saying about Suzuki back in the day.

In July, at development camp, Hage already seemed to have recovered from the minor injury that caused him to miss playoff time with Michigan.

Whether or not we like his decision to continue his journey at Michigan for a third season—we'll come back to that—Hage defended this “option” with poise and maturity. A decision supported and superbly explained by his coach at Michigan, Brando Naurato, during this excellent interview with Arpon Basu and Marc-Antoine Godin.

Hage has a good head on his shoulders and wants to be a player capable of making an impact at center from the moment he arrives in the NHL. He didn't want to risk being shuttled back and forth between Laval and Montreal.

After putting in a lot of hard work in the gym, he's now in much better physical shape to handle the rigors of an 84-game NHL schedule.

Mentally, I believe he'll join the Canadiens next spring with great emotional maturity and a winner's mindset.

Value to the Organization

Since trading Sean Monahan to Winnipeg, the Canadiens haven't really been able to count on a true second-line center. Kirby Dach seemed well on his way to filling that role, but repeated injuries have set him back to the point where few observers would now give him more than a 5% chance of ever adequately fulfilling that role in the NHL.

Here comes Michael!

Hage's speed and offensive talent are far superior to what Dach has been able to show his coaches since his acquisition in 2022.

Much like with Reinbacher, it's safe to assume that the Habs have so far turned down a slew of trade proposals involving Hage.

So, as the days go by, the young Ontarian's value to the Habs' plans continues to rise—even though we all know his management would have preferred him to start the upcoming season with the Habs rather than in Michigan.

Now, would the Habs have been willing to trade him for players like Hischier, Thomas, Crosby, Larkin, or even McTavish?

All we can say is that, for various reasons, it didn't happen with those players.

In addition to his on-ice value, if we assume that Hage will be able to make a significant impact right from his arrival with the team next spring—as was recently the case with Caufield and Hutson, who dominated the NCAA before their debuts in Montreal—we can also assume that his trade value is commensurate. 

In other words, the Canadiens will only be tempted to trade their top prospect in exchange for a major catch, and they would make Hage the centerpiece of the deal for the other team. 

At that point, we might well be entering the very exclusive circle of players like McDavid, Draisaitl, and the like—because any other experienced center likely to hit the market AND be of interest to Montreal in the coming year (the list isn't very long) probably won't be worth it, if we view Hage as a player capable of amassing over 700 points in his NHL career.

At 21, Hage already has everything it takes to quickly become a dominant player in the NHL.

According to his coach Naurato at Michigan, he could easily play in the NHL right now. 

1. Ivan Demidov, RW

Potential: 38/40
Confidence: 17.5/20
Usage Value: 18.5/20
Trade Value: 18.5/20

Total: 92.5/100

I've been following the Canadiens since 1983, and no 19- or 20-year-old forward has had a 63-point season or impressed me as much in the last 43 years.

Potential
It was therefore no exaggeration to say that Demidov was the team's most promising offensive prospect since Guy Lafleur. His first full season only served to confirm this assessment. 

At the same age, in 1971–1972, Lafleur had 64 points—one more!

And considering that Lafleur didn't reach 60 points in his second and third seasons, DemiGod has a real chance of having a better start to his career than the “true demigod” that Lafleur became!

The player who is set to become the team's highest-paid forward on July 1, 2027 (unless…), is also technically ahead of Kucherov and Kaprizov at the same age—players to whom he is constantly compared. 

At age 20, in his first NHL season, Kucherov had 18 NHL points before racking up 65 by age 21.

Kaprizov made his NHL debut at 23, recording 51 points in 55 games. He had tallied 42 points in 49 KHL games at age 19.

So that's Demidov for you: comparisons ranging from Lafleur to Kucherov and Kaprizov…

Great company… and he's certainly on par with them right now.

Otherwise, pretty much everything has been said about his potential: as he continues to develop in the NHL, we'd all be surprised if Demidov didn't record at least one 100-point season in his career, in addition to becoming a fairly—if not downright—dominant player in the playoffs.

Confidence

On certain nights, Demidov was already establishing himself as the Canadiens' best forward in his rookie season. And as time goes on, he'll become THE player everyone wants to pass the puck to—the true playmaker on offense. 

I don't think we should be overly concerned about his lackluster performance in the playoffs. First, let's remember that Demidov often had bad luck and hit the post several times.

Second, there are limits to what a 20-year-old winger can accomplish in the playoffs without very strong teammates, especially at center.

No offense to Jake Evans, but…

Besides, the young Russian, just like Lane Hutson, is a hockey fanatic, and his work ethic ranks in the 99th percentile across the entire NHL.

What better guarantee of success could you ask for?

In short, you can look for red flags all you want, but you won't find many in this young man's case.

Value to the Organization

If Demidov becomes the next Kucherov—or something close to it—the Habs would have found their star offensive player. The one who'll supplant Suzuki, if you will. 

But it's also possible that the Habs could land a center who's even more dominant than Suzuki, in which case #93 might have to “settle” for being the team's second-leading offensive player.

No one would complain about that—not even Demidov—since at that point it would mean that Kent Hughes had landed quite the hockey player!

And we certainly can't discuss Demidov's value to the organization without mentioning that famous contract signed just hours before Leo Carlsson signed a hostile offer sheet that would forever mark the economic history of the NHL. 

There will be a “before” and an “after” when we think of that daring decision by Daniel Brière…

And so, fortunately for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens, Demidov's contract was “before.” 

So, if we estimate that Demidov is roughly on par with Connor Bedard ($15M) and Leo Carlsson ($18M), that means Demidov signed for at least $6–8M less than his market value in the new economic reality.

In other words, having Demidov under contract for $9 million a year for another 8 years is a bit like buying your cordless drill and bit set on sale for $180 instead of $300. 

An incredible savings for the Habs. A priceless deal in the NHL. 

If we add the contracts of Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Cole Caufield to Demidov's, Kent Hughes has likely secured four of the top 10 contracts in the entire NHL. 

Final Rankings and Conclusion

With the recent call-ups of Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dobes, and Kapanen (if you want to count him), the Habs' prospect pipeline—especially when viewed in terms of untapped potential—is no longer as overflowing as it has been in recent years.

But it's a pool of prospects that remains well above the NHL average.

The top 10 is still quite impressive, as every player on that list can reasonably aspire to become an impact player in the NHL—that is, an above-average player, roughly at the level of top-6 forwards and top-4 defensemen.

The top three aren't as strong as in the past two seasons, but they would still be the envy of 85% of organizations.

Demidov, in a class of his own this year—with 63 points in his rookie season and a conservative second-place ranking on this list in 2024 and 2025—can aspire to join the elite soon and produce 90 to 110 points annually.

Hage, for his part, should at the very least be on par with impact forwards (45–60 points) upon his arrival at age 21, but he's seen as having the potential to be a star player capable of 65 to 75 points.

As for Fowler, in the opinion of just about every expert (except Corey Pronman, but whatever…), he's currently on par with other young #1 goaltender prospects across the NHL. According to many, he's even the top prospect at his position. He's very likely a future star goaltender in the NHL.

Reinbacher, Pugachyov, and Zharovsky all still project as very solid contributors, each in their own way, in the world's best league. However, a bit of patience will be needed in all three cases.

As for Mooney, Bolduc, Pickford, and Engstrom, their untapped potential remains very intriguing and could even surprise us.

As for the rest, we'll be following Runtso's journey in the NCAA and Trottier's with the Regina Pats with particular interest. These two show special qualities that could lead them to the NHL, and we shouldn't be surprised to see them climb this ranking over the years.

The famous trade value…
Finally, all of this is well and good, but let's not lose sight of the Habs' new reality—that of an aspiring team—which has forced us to adjust the weight we place on the trade value of its prospects.

So, let's not forget that several players on this list—and possibly some of the most prominent ones—could better serve the Habs' cause by being traded before they get their moment in the spotlight at the Bell Centre…

Only time will tell.

Let's discuss this further in the comments!