The Canadiens’ pursuit of Mark Scheifele has one obvious limit: Michael Hage.
Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported that Montreal is among the teams “asking about Mark Scheifele after failing on Dylan Larkin. They have their eye on him as the perfect 1-2 punch to support top line centre Nick Suzuki.
It could include Michael Hage, Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, and Sam Montembeault among others.”
That’s where the debate starts, and for Montreal, it should end with Hage staying put.
Scheifele, 33, is still producing at a high level in Winnipeg. He has six points in six games, with five assists, and carries an $8.5 million cap hit. The Jets are 4-1-1, and he would make a clear upgrade down the middle for a Canadiens team looking for help behind Suzuki.
But Hage is the one asset Montreal should treat as untouchable in a deal like this. A prospect with that kind of upside is more valuable to the Canadiens than a veteran center, even one putting up numbers like Scheifele.
The other names fit into the conversation differently.
Sam Montembeault is a surprise inclusion, but he’s also the easiest to imagine moving. The 29-year-old goalie makes $3.15 million, is on injured reserve until at least October 20, and is in the final year of his contract. With Jacob Fowler taking over in net, Montreal could see a path to moving him.
Kirby Dach is another name that makes sense in trade discussions. He has only one assist in six games and is sitting at a minus-3 rating. Several teams have already made offers for him, and losing him would not be a major setback.
Oliver Kapanen is trickier because he hasn’t played this season. That means his trade value is tied to his health, and Montreal hasn’t been able to get a read on that yet.
So yes, the need is real. Montreal could use another center, and Scheifele would help. But if the Canadiens go down that road, Hage should not be the price.
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