The CH has three of the top 26 prospects, according to NHL.com

Vincent Larue
The CH has three of the top 26 prospects, according to NHL.com
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The Canadiens may have promoted several young players in recent years, but their pool of prospects is far from empty.

NHL.com has unveiled its ranking of the top 26 NHL prospects heading into training camp, and three Habs players made the list.

However, one name in particular stands out from the crowd.

Michael Hage is the one stealing the spotlight. That's not all that surprising.

The forward is ranked eighth. Yes, eighth among all NHL prospects.

When the Canadiens selected him 21st overall in 2024, it was clear that Kent Hughes was landing a player with a lot of potential. Two years later, Hage isn't just considered a good prospect for the organization.

In the eyes of NHL.com, he's now among the cream of the crop of young players knocking on the NHL's door. That's sure to make Habs fans happy.

But the rankings hold a surprise for the Canadiens.

David Reinbacher comes in at No. 20, four spots ahead of Jacob Fowler, who rounds out the list at No. 24.

That's still surprising.

Over the past few years, with injuries and long stretches away from the action, it was easy to get the impression that Reinbacher's potential had diminished considerably.

Clearly, not everyone has given up on him yet. Sure, he's not in the top 10, but still. The Austrian defenseman has played only two NHL games so far, but NHL.com continues to rank him among the league's top 20 prospects.

He's even ranked ahead of Fowler, who has already made several strong debuts in the NHL, in goal for the Habs.

That guarantees Reinbacher absolutely nothing.

A ranking is just a ranking, and at some point, the fifth overall pick in 2023 will have to show on the ice why the organization believed in him so much.

It remains to be seen whether he can carve out a spot with the Canadiens this season. But for a player whose progress has been called into question on several occasions, seeing him ranked this high is certainly encouraging.

And let's not forget Fowler. Even at No. 24, the goaltender ensures the Canadiens have three representatives among NHL.com's top 26 prospects.

For an organization that already has several key young players in the NHL, that's far from bad.


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