BROSSARD, Que. — It’s been a lingering query, with the faculty season virtually full and Michael Hage showing NHL-ready, and we’re not nearer to having it answered.
Albeit not definitively. Because even when Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis confirmed an surprising degree of flexibility with his lineup for Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers, it’s inconceivable to say for positive what he’ll do with Hage if/when administration indicators the Twenty first-overall choose within the 2024 draft to an entry-level contract earlier than the tip of the common season.
With 4 video games remaining, the Canadiens are 4 factors out of first place within the Eastern Conference and in a three-way tie for prime spot within the Atlantic Division and St. Louis already stated twice within the final 48 hours that the highest precedence is to win video games and achieve these targets.
But modifications he made to Montreal’s lineup Tuesday made it clear it’s not the one precedence.
That St. Louis made so a lot of them to check totally different gamers in numerous conditions urged he may be open to making extra, and Hage may very well be his largest one but.
The dynamic, 19-year-old ahead, who’s posted 26 targets and 85 factors over 71 video games unfold during the last two years with the Michigan Wolverines, is headed to the Frozen Four. He may win a nationwide championship Saturday, however he is also out there to the Canadiens by then if the Wolverines lose to the Denver Pioneers within the second semifinal on Thursday.
With playoff positioning and home-ice benefit nonetheless at play, it felt questionable St. Louis would pop Hage into his lineup for even one recreation earlier than the tip of the season — Hage would seemingly solely be out there for one if he performs in Saturday’s championship recreation — and that was nonetheless the case Tuesday morning.
The coach was requested then about modifications and didn’t assure any of them, regardless of Joe Veleno’s unclear standing for the sport. He was additionally requested about what he’d like to see from the Canadiens’ second line and by no means gave any indication he meant on tweaking it.
Scratching Brendan Gallagher to get Kirby Dach again in after Dach missed 11 video games with an upper-body harm wasn’t a lot of a shock, however bringing Alex Texier in off his seven-game absence with a lower-body harm for Veleno (sick) and putting him in Oliver Kapanen’s place on Montreal’s second line was.
Kapanen, who has 22 targets this season, moved to the fourth line with Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson, making it the primary recreation he’d performed away from Ivan Demidov this season.
The outcome was robust sufficient to recommend it gained’t be the final one.
Texier did what Kapanen hasn’t been in a position to do as a lot of, making a brand new mixture with Demidov significantly compelling.
St. Louis stated earlier within the day that Texier’s means to lengthen offensive-zone time and play in possession was key irrespective of the place he slotted in.
And then he stated after the sport, over which Demidov was Montreal’s most threatening participant reverse Texier, “When you extend and the other team gets a little tired, now (Demidov) gets a touch and he’s got a little bit of space, he’s tough to handle. We’ve got to get it to that, we’ve got to create more instances for him.”
Alex Newhook’s pace and flexibility between Texier and Demidov — not to point out his improved faceoff proportion of late — made him a superb match to steadiness out the road.
But these are the weather that make Newhook a superb match anyplace on this lineup, probably making manner for Hage to step in and have an opportunity to showcase his means from the place he’d match greatest — with Texier and Demidov — for a minimum of a recreation.
“I think (Hage is) a dynamic skater, really good hockey mind,” stated Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson, who got here out of faculty and jumped into NHL video games in April of 2024.
“I think he’s just got a really high hockey IQ,” Hutson continued. “He competes and is a lot of fun to watch. Tons of skill.”
Throwing Hage in at this stage of the season nonetheless represents a tough determination for St. Louis, although.
The coach can have many extra to make earlier than the Canadiens are by way of taking part in hockey this spring.
Take Veleno, for occasion: He was lacking for a legitimate cause Tuesday evening, and now may discover himself as a wholesome scratch once more earlier than lengthy, regardless of taking part in so properly that St. Louis was praising him up and down Tuesday morning.
“He’s playing with some jam, and he’s playing with a lot of details defensively,” the coach stated of the participant who ranks third on the Canadiens in hits (149) and has been a key cog on an improved penalty kill of late.
“He’s been very noticeable, disruptive, and he’s been really good,” St. Louis added on Veleno.
If Gallagher hasn’t been as efficient by way of the second half of this season, he nonetheless has a physique of labor within the playoffs that implies he’ll be wanted.
Scratching Gallagher for the odd regular-season recreation is one factor, however doing so for a playoff recreation is one other. The 33-year-old has probably the most playoff expertise of anybody on the group and he performs the model of hockey that prevails at the moment.
Kapanen, who’s performed so mature that it’s simple to neglect he’s a rookie, has but to present he does.
Part of that’s he has solely three video games of playoff expertise.
The Finn has been a terrific complementary piece within the prime six for most the season, although, and he has sufficient selection in his recreation to make him efficient anyplace.
Still, St. Louis can have to watch Kapanen play extra video games within the backside six and ask himself simply how far more efficient he’ll be than Veleno or Gallagher — not to point out Dach — in such a task come playoff time.
As St. Louis talked about after Wednesday’s follow, he hasn’t had to weigh so many various components in his decisions to date.
He should steadiness components of age and expertise with youth, expertise and vitality. He should contemplate roles of every of his gamers. He should additionally discover methods to hold everybody engaged and ready to give the Canadiens what they’ll want at any given second.
“How do I do it?” St. Louis requested.
“I don’t know, but I’ll do my best doing it,” he responded.
There’s nonetheless time earlier than the decisions he makes turn out to be that rather more consequential, with the playoffs greater than every week away.
How St. Louis made decisions Tuesday urged he’s keen to experiment, although, for now. Even with playoff positioning and home-ice benefit nonetheless on the road.
That may open the door to Hage as quickly as he’s out there to play.
