Michael Hage: Renaud Lavoie is adamant—he is not untouchable

Vincent Larue
Michael Hage: Renaud Lavoie is adamant—he is not untouchable
Credit: X

Michael Hage has many Canadiens fans dreaming.

But those who believe the young prospect is untouchable are likely to be disappointed—and not just a little.

The Habs are still looking to acquire a top-tier center, and Nick Suzuki's injury only underscores that need.

According to Renaud Lavoie, Kent Hughes could very well trade Hage to address this issue.

During his appearance on the show “JIC” on TVA Sports, the insider was very clear about the young forward's future.

According to him, Hage is far from untouchable in the eyes of the Canadiens' management. Unlike players such as Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hutson, the young prospect could very well be included in a trade if the opportunity arose.

That's bound to cause a stir.

After all, Hage is considered one of the organization's top prospects, and many fans hope to see him eventually take on the role of second-line center.

But we also have to be realistic.

As promising as he may be, Hage remains a prospect who has yet to play a single game in the NHL. There's no guarantee he'll become a dominant player at the professional level.

Lavoie also pointed out that it's quite rare for a player selected 21st overall in the draft to become an All-Star. He also believes the young man is wasting his time by playing another season in the American college ranks.

Personally, I'm not ready to go that far.

A prospect's development shouldn't be rushed simply because the Canadiens need reinforcement at center.

That said, if Hughes truly has the opportunity to acquire an established star center in the NHL, he'll have to seriously consider trading Hage.

That's exactly what Lavoie thinks, too; he believes that if a team demands Hage in a major trade, the Habs would be willing to accept it.

Of course, that doesn't mean a trade is imminent.

But one thing is certain: The Canadiens can't consider all their top prospects untouchable if they want to improve their team. If the price to pay for a true No. 2 center includes Michael Hage, the decision could become particularly difficult.


In a nutshell

– Karma.

– Brad Marchand adds fuel to the fire.

– Wow!

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