Tough decisions loom for Canadiens’ St. Louis, including what to do with Hage

BROSSARD, Que. — It’s been a lingering query, with the faculty season virtually full and Michael Hage showing NHL-ready, and we’re no nearer to having it answered.

Albeit not definitively. Because even when Canadian coach Martin St. Louis confirmed an surprising stage of flexibility with his lineup for Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout win over the Florida Panthers, it is not possible 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 top 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 high spot within the Atlantic Division and St. Louis already mentioned twice within the final 48 hours that the highest precedence is to win video games and obtain these objectives.

But adjustments he made to Montreal’s lineup Tuesday made it clear it is not the one precedence.

That St. Louis made so a lot of them to check totally different gamers in several conditions instructed he is perhaps open to doing extra, and Hage could possibly be his largest one but.

The dynamic, 19-year-old ahead, who’s posted 26 objectives and 85 factors over 71 video games unfold over the past two years with the Michigan Wolverines, is headed to the Frozen Four. He might win a nationwide championship Saturday, however he is also accessible 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 its lineup for even one sport earlier than the top of the season — Hage would probably solely be accessible for one if he performs in Saturday’s championship sport — and that was nonetheless the case Tuesday morning.

The coach was then requested about adjustments and did not 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 damage wasn’t a lot of a shock, however bringing Alex Texier in off his seven-game absence with a lower-body damage for Veleno (sick) and putting him in Oliver Kapanen’s place on Montreal’s second line was.

Kapanen, who has 22 objectives this season, moved to the fourth line with Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson, making it the primary sport he’d performed away from Ivan Demidov this season.

The consequence was robust sufficient to recommend it will not 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 notably compelling.

St. Louis mentioned earlier within the day that Texier’s potential to prolong offensive-zone time and play in possession was key irrespective of the place he slotted in.

And then he mentioned 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 share of late — made him a superb match to stability out the road.

But these are the weather that make Newhook a superb match wherever on this lineup, doubtlessly making a method for Hage to step in and have an opportunity to showcase his potential from the place he’d match finest — with Texier and Demidov — for not less than a sport.

“I think (Hage is) a dynamic skater, really good hockey mind,” mentioned Canadian defenseman Lane Hutson, who got here out of school 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 it is a lot of fun to watch. Tons of skill.”

Throwing Hage in at this stage of the season nonetheless represents a troublesome choice for St. Louis, although.

The coach may have many extra to do earlier than the Canadiens are by means of taking part in hockey this spring.

Take Veleno, for occasion: He was lacking for a legitimate purpose Tuesday evening, and now he might discover himself as a wholesome scratch once more earlier than lengthy, regardless of taking part in so effectively 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 mentioned 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 means 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 sport is one factor, however doing so for a playoff sport 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 is simple to overlook he is 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 an incredible complementary piece within the high six for a lot of the season, although, and he has sufficient selection in his sport to make him efficient wherever.

Still, St. Louis may 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 job 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 stability 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 preserve everybody engaged and ready to give the Canadiens what they will 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,” I responded.

There’s nonetheless time earlier than the decisions he makes turn out to be that rather more consequential, with the playoffs greater than per week away.

How St. Louis made decisions Tuesday instructed he is keen to experiment, although, for now. Even with playoff positioning and home-ice benefit nonetheless on the road.

That might open the door to Hage as quickly as he is accessible to play.