Finding a new top center is one of the hardest jobs in the NHL, and the Detroit Red Wings are staring right at that problem.
If the next manager is going to move on from disgruntled captain Dylan Larkin, the team will need a replacement who can handle a top-line or top-six role. That kind of player is not easy to find, and the obvious options are shaky.
Some names would bring risk, like Elias Pettersson. Others feel unlikely, like Anton Lundell.
So the Red Wings may have to get creative.
One possible answer is already much closer to home than most fans would expect: University of Michigan center Michael Hage, a Montreal Canadiens prospect.
Hage put together a strong season for the Wolverines, finishing with 52 points in 39 games. Only Max Plante’s huge Hobey Baker run kept Hage from running away with the award. His offense, paired with what the source describes as above-average defensive play, makes him look like the kind of center who could step into a team’s top-six and help solve a major need.
There is one wrinkle. Instead of signing his entry-level contract with Montreal, Hage has chosen to return to U of M for the 2026-27 season. The reason for that decision is not clear, and the situation is one worth keeping an eye on.
Montreal’s center picture is part of why this matters. The Canadiens have been using Oliver Kapanen and, at times, Kirby Dach as their second-line center while continuing to look for a 2C behind Selke-winner Nick Suzuki all offseason. If they land one, Hage could become expendable sooner rather than later.
That opens the door for a deal.
If the Red Wings can get Larkin to expand his trade list, and if Montreal wants a long-term, cost-controlled second-line center, there could be a path that works for everyone. Detroit could land Hage, along with another prospect and a pick, in a Larkin trade.
Montreal would get the center it has been chasing. Hage would get his NHL opportunity.
The catch is timing. Detroit would have to wait until late in the 2026-27 season to debut Hage. Still, if the Wings can make him feel like a major part of the future, that would send a clear message about how much they value him.
Before any of that can happen, though, the Red Wings need to move on from Larkin.
In Other News...
Former Red Wings Winger Now Faces Serious Trouble Off The Ice
Ville Leinos post-hockey life has taken a difficult turn, with the former Red Wings wingers clothing company Billebeino dealing with a sharp financial downturn. The brand has been hit by significant losses and a long slide in sales, a reminder that life after the rink can be just as unforgiving as the pro game for players trying to build something of their own.
The business pressure comes at a time when a few other ex-Red Wings names have been popping up in hockey circles, from Henrik Zetterberg earning a spot on a Swedish all-decade team to Tim Gettinger and Patrik Rybar moving on to new opportunities. For Leino, though, the attention is less about a nostalgic hockey moment and more about whether his company can steady itself after filing for corporate restructuring. [Read more 🡒]
Former Griffins Forward Puts Red Wings Development Path Under The Spotlight
Wojciech Stachowiaks first season in North America ended in Grand Rapids, where he finished last year with the AHLs Griffins after being traded into the Red Wings organization. For a player still trying to carve out a foothold on this side of the Atlantic, the experience gave him a better look at the grind of the North American game while keeping the door open to what comes next.
Stachowiak is now an unrestricted free agent, and he has made it clear he would like to stay in North America as he looks for the right fit. After calling his first season a positive one despite the usual adjustments and challenges, he is still chasing the same thing most fringe prospects are: a landing spot where the path does not stop at the AHL and where an NHL debut can finally become more than a long-term goal. [Read more 🡒]
Moritz Seider Just Earned Recognition Red Wings Fans Will Love
Moritz Seider added another notable line to his rsum this week when The Hockey News named him the winner of the Rod Langway Award, honoring the NHLs best defensive defenseman for the 2025-26 season. For Red Wings fans, it is the kind of recognition that matches what they have been watching for a while now: a player who anchors the back end, sets the tone physically and brings a level of durability that coaches trust in all situations.
Seider also led Detroit in plus-minus rating, another sign of how much he matters when the game tilts into tougher minutes. Todd McLellan has praised his endurance and athleticism, and with his profile continuing to rise, Seider has become a natural candidate to eventually take on an even bigger role in the room as the successor to Dylan Larkin as captain. [Read more 🡒]