The Montreal Canadiens started the season on the wrong foot, tripped and fell on their face would be a more apt description. Their early performances frustrated fans as the expectations were much higher than what was seen. Not only did they hover near the bottom of the NHL standings, but they also ranked near or at the cellar in every standard or advanced statistic, which explains the on-ice outcomes.
Related: Canadiens’ Savard Trade Value is High
However, there is hope for the future as general manager (GM) Kent Hughes is at the helm of a rebuild that has been sailing in the right direction. Much attention has been paid to the Canadiens’ defence prospects, and many point to a promising future for the rebuild. Yet the depth at every position should be highlighted, as the prospect pool is already seen as an NHL best.
Canadiens Prospects Rank High
Some are now hoping for Montreal to tank the season, but simply continuing the season and letting the final position in the standings occur organically is the most helpful outcome as it not only benefits the future with what is likely to be a top-10 draft selection but also doesn’t disadvantage the young core of players who have already graduated to the NHL.
It helps tremendously that the Canadiens prospect pool is stocked with not only quantity but also quality. They recently were ranked at the top of the list of TSN’s rankings of U24 players. Montreal’s top five on this list are right winger Cole Caufield (23), right winger Ivan Demidov (18), left winger Juraj Slafkovsky (20), defenceman Lane Hutson (20) and goaltender Jacob Fowler (19).
“It’s an embarrassment of riches and a reason to be patient with the franchise rebuild.”
– Craig Button
The list rounds out the top 10 with (in order) centerman Michael Hage, defenseman David Reinbacher, defenseman Logan Mailloux, left winger Joshua Roy, and centerman Owen Beck. This list doesn’t even include centerman Nick Suzuki as he had just turned 25 this past offseason, giving Montreal the potential of a top six filled with top-line calibre players, multiple top pairing capable defenders, high-quality two-way players and even a potential starting goaltender for years to come.
The biggest organizational need for several years was to add offensive forwards, and an elite forward. Both seem to have a prospect that is ready to fill those needs, but it will take patience and time before they step into the NHL and make the impact their potential points to.
Canadiens Prospect Michael Hage
In an interview with RG.org, Michael Hage stated that he’s doing everything he can to set as high of a standard as possible for himself, considering he is seen as one of the Canadiens’ top prospects. He is currently in his rookie NCAA season with the University of Michigan where he has already begun to cement himself as a top-line player. He has scored five goals and nine points in his first nine games and leads the team in goals and points. Hage also points to an NHL superstar that he wants to emulate.
“[Jack] Eichel is a good one, he’s a guy I’ve tried to model my game after. He’s creative and pretty rangy. He’s someone you try and take things from as you work on your own game; I like the way Eichel plays with the puck and pushes pace. I believe I’ll be the type of offensive center that can play in a top-6 in the NHL. I know I won’t get there on skills alone and that it’s going to be a process.”
– Michael Hage
There are some similarities as both Hage and Eichel are both centers and both spent time in the NCAA. Obviously, Eichel, who was drafted second overall in 2015, is not the best comparable, but that doesn’t mean that Hage can’t emulate some of the better habits and skill sets of one of the NHL’s most skilled centers. The self-awareness shown by the 18-year-old and his work ethic point to a bright future for a Toronto native who grew up as an avid Canadiens fan.
Canadiens Prospect Ivan Demidov
The Canadiens’ 2024 fifth-overall pick, Ivan Demidov, has been playing this season for SKA St-Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Despite being used mostly in a bottom-six role, he’s already showcasing his elite skills despite the questionable decisions of his coaching staff to limit his minutes. For Montreal fans hoping to see Hughes go to Russia and rescue Demidov, there will be disappointment. Marco D’Amico of RG.org has information from a source close to the prospect that won’t please Canadiens fans. The reports are that Demidov will not be available to Montreal until the youngster’s KHL contract expires on June 1, 2025.
Demidov can only leave for the NHL this season if SKA’s head coach Roman Rotenberg agrees to terminate his contract by mutual consent. He doesn’t seem to have interest in allowing Demidov to break his contract as Matvei Michkov did to join the Philadelphia Flyers this past offseason. He also doesn’t seem to have interest in giving the young winger the ice time he has earned as he routinely restricts him to eight minutes or less, only letting him get more when the team is in desperate need of additional offence. All signs point to Hughes being unable or at the very least, not believing that Rotenberg will be persuaded to let Demidov go to North America during the season. It has become clear that Rotenberg isn’t interested in doing any favours for the Canadiens or Demidov. This is evident as the young, dynamic forward has six goals and 20 points in 29 games played this season, producing multiple-point games whenever given a power play or top-six role.
The wait for Demidov to join the NHL squad will likely end in the summer of 2025, the wait for many of the other prospects will take a little longer. But with the quality of the prospect pool, and depth at each position, the rebuild is starting to take shape and fans are excited to see the Canadiens reach the next stage.
