After the Michigan Wolverines lost in the Frozen Four, the big question for Michael Hage was seemingly whether he would finish out the season with the Montreal Canadiens or the Laval Rocket. However, it was believed that him signing his entry-level contract was a foregone conclusion.
Unfortunately, that was not the case, and Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Hage has elected to return to Michigan for the 2026-27 season. Hage, who the Canadiens selected 21st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, had an exceptional season for the Wolverines with 13 goals and 39 assists in his sophomore season.
What does it mean for Michael Hage and the Montreal Canadiens now?
The first thing this means is that there will be another year of speculation about whether or not Hage will sign with the Montreal Canadiens. What he showed this past season with the Wolverines made it clear that he is not far off from being a contributor on this Canadiens team.
While the player might have the skill to compete, there really is no rush for either side to get a deal done. The Canadiens have four years after drafting him, or until they leave college, and with Hage being a sophomore, there are at least two more years to get a contract done.
For Hage, while the thought was he might be ready to be a center in the NHL and could fit in on the second line for Montreal, the Canadiens have such depth and young talent that it isn't necessarily a guarantee.
He can return to Michigan and continue to develop there while having a chance to chase another championship. The fact that he was one game away from playing for one this season could have factored into his decision to return.
In the end, this decision to return impacts the Montreal Canadiens more next season as he won't be available to join the team until about this point in the season next year. This means general manager Kent Hughes is going to potentially need to look outside the organization to address the center position on their second line.