Canadiens Top Prospect Poised for Big Sophomore Season

Hage had noticeably added some mass to his six-foot-one 190-pound frame, and he reportedly confirmed that he had gained 10 pounds of lean muscle since the beginning of the offseason, and he still has the remainder of July and the entirety of August and September to continue hitting the weights.

The investment looked to have paid off already at the development camp, with Hage looking like a man amongst boys. Tyler Thorpe and Hayden Paupanekis stood out for their natural physical attributes, but Hage isn't six-foot-four, and he isn't 210 pounds or more.

What Hage showed at camp was that the skills package is without a doubt NHL-caliber, and on a offensively anemic Wolverines squad, Hage was the top dog during his freshman year.

Michigan has made some improvements, and if Hage is going to bounce off of and pivot away from forecheckers, which he did in Brossard, Quebec, during the Canadiens scrimmages, then he should be one to keep an eye on in the NCAA ranks.

Hage was Kent Hughes's guy for a reason; the skill and the talent are off the charts, and it was noticeable from his first game in the college ranks. With added strength and an improved skating base, which was already strong, Hage is primed for a massive year.

There is all kinds of buzz about the Canadiens' need for a second-line center, and rightfully so. The organization cannot leave cornerstone top rookie Ivan Demidov without one.

Still, many of those conversations also consider that Hage could take over the role in 2026-2027, so a center on a shorter-term deal seems most likely to be Hughes' target.

Of course, Hughes isn't going to put all his eggs in one basket with Hage, nor would he put a prospect under such pressure, but Hage was selected for a reason, and the keys to the second-line center role may change hands in short order when he arrives on the scene in Montreal.

Hage scored 13 goals and 21 assists in his first taste of college hockey, and while continuing to grow his two-way game, he is one of the likeliest bets for an offensive explosion during the 2025-2026 college hockey season.