The Montreal Canadiens still have the glaring roster need that all fans saw at the end of the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes. They desperately needed a second-line center, but unfortunately, it feels like every team in the NHL needs one, and they are hard to find.
As it stands right now, the Canadiens are going to be looking internally to address that hole in their roster with players like Oliver Kapanen or even Kirby Dach. However, the one wild card that is still floating out there is Michael Hage.
Recently, Jeff Marek on The Sheet mentioned that the Canadiens are still trying to sign Hage this summer. The 2024 first-round pick elected to go back to the University of Michigan for this upcoming season, which was a decision that seemed to raise eyebrows.
Hage after an incredible season with 52 points in 39 games, certainly looks ready to make that jump to the NHL. When he does sign that entry-level contract, he looks like he will immediately slot into the Top 6 and hopefully be the long-term answer to that second-center problem.
Montreal Canadiens need to make a move with Michael Hage's eventual debut in Montreal
While the Canadiens continue to try to sign Hage this summer, their best option is to make a move that adds to their Top 6. Ideally, it is a center but they don't want to make a move that blocks Hage's path to the NHL.
One player that could be a logical fit is the Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell, who has been a popular trade target for close to a year now. After 35 goals in 2024-25, he saw a decrease in production with only 24 goals, but this was also due to the fact that he played in only 60 games. The point per game average across the two seasons was fairly close at .86 in 2024-25 and .80 last season.
The reason that Rakell makes sense for Montreal is that he does have some experience in the faceoff circle with over 2,100 faceoffs in his career. While he has only a 44.4% win percentage, he could begin as the center and then, once Hage's season is over at Michigan, slide to the wing.
The decision of Michael Hage to return to Michigan has left the Montreal Canadiens in a bit of a holding pattern. However, that doesn't mean they can't make any move and adding a player like Rakell helps them in the immediate while not blocking the long-term plan.
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