Should Habs walk away from the Egyptian Magician?

Michael Hage was a clear standout at the last WJC. He was, a case can be made, the most dominant forward in the entire tournament. You felt like every time he stepped on the ice, something was going to happen. Deft passer, smooth (albeit not elite) skater, and impressive vision, the Egyptian Magician did everything to confirm he may have been the steal of the 2024 draft when the Habs wheeled-and-dealed their way up to draft him (big thank you to the LA King and assistant GM, Marc Bergevin, for serving us a nice gift on a silver platter).

Hage came to camp last summer stating he wanted to round up his game, and bulk up, and he followed suit on this promise. The kid seems poised in big moments, and appears to be mature and focused like few kids his age. Again, impressive, and promising.

But don't believe what several journalists (aka Canadiens mouthpieces in my hoenst opinion) have stated about his decision to return to college for a THIRD season. Now some may say give the kid credit, he acknowledges he needs to improve in certain facets of his game (namely, in the faceoff circle, and in terms of defensive reads) and that there is absolutely nothing to be worried about, or any other underlying reasons for his decision.

But I personally don't buy it, not for a minute.

So playing in the AHL (if the high ankle sprain he suffered allow him to), arguably the second best league in the world, in the playoffs, with a contending team, AND, having access to world-class resources the Canadiens have in the area of player development, analytics, coaching, etc would NOT help develop his game ? Come on folks, put the glass of kool-aid down for a second, and let's acknowledge that something smells fishy here.

Some suggested him and his agent may have looked at what immediate opportunities there were on the Habs roster, more specifically at the center position, and deducted that his odds of cracking the lineup now, or in October, were not overly high.

If that's the case it should be seen as a huge red flag. Not confident that he could pass Newhook, Kapanen, Danault as a 2 or 3 C on the depth chart? Are we being serious here?

How many first rounders (and many believe he should have been a top 15 pick), need 3 seasons in college? Nah. This feels like there is more than meets the eye. One has to wonder if he believed he would be in the AHL next season, making far less money than Michigan is currently offering him. Or did his agent get wind of something that happened at the trade deadline, say a trade the Habs tried to complete (and may revisit in the offseason) that involved a 2C? Or, dare we suggest, that such trade even involved Hage as part of the package.

Granted, all this is obviously speculation on my part, and we may never find out the real reasons for Hage balking at the Canadiens. And it could all work out in the end. But, if this guy was deemed to be an untouchable a couple of weeks ago, I think he should now be trade bait heading into the summer, especially if another team would be willing to part with a piece that could plug a hole at center for the Habs, immediately.

The reality is yes, we are young, but the window is wide open, budding powerhouses like Anaheim or San Jose are still a couple years away, and the notion we should wait 2-3 more years till our youngsters are ready to win is a ludicrous one in my opinion. By then, other key pieces, Matheson, Dobson, Suzy, Cole, will be in their late 20s or early 30s (not suggesting they would be old but still), and some will be nearing the end of their contracts (and hence need to be renewed at far higher amounts than the bargains we currently have them at).

It's time to pounce, Kent, and perhaps Hage's decision to walk (away) like an Egyptian, and turn down a golden opportunity to join the Habs NOW, has given you an additional bargaining chip to dangle in front of other teams....it's an idea at least worth considering.