Kent Hughes is not moving Michael Hage, no matter how much noise the trade market makes.
That’s the message Frank Seravalli passed along, saying the Montreal Canadiens prospect is officially off limits. Hage’s name has been floating around in trade chatter for days and weeks, but Seravalli’s reporting makes the situation sound pretty simple: people can call all they want, the answer from Hughes stays the same.
Hage is not available.
That alone tells you how highly Montreal values the University of Michigan forward. Seravalli also confirmed that multiple teams have reached out to Hughes about him, so the interest is real. The Canadiens’ response, though, has been just as real.
The timing matters here, too. Montreal is still trying to add more help down the middle behind Nick Suzuki, and that need looks even sharper after Kirby Dach went through another tough season. Suzuki is carrying the load offensively, but the Canadiens know they can’t lean on him forever.
That’s part of why Hage is so important to them. Montreal understands how hard it is to find a center with his upside on the trade market, especially without paying a massive premium. Hughes clearly sees Hage as the kind of player you keep and build around for the long haul.
In other words, Montreal isn’t treating him like a chip. It’s treating him like a piece of the future.
As the source put it, it’s like refusing to sell a house that’s still under construction because it doesn’t have a roof yet. The foundation already means too much.
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For Montreal, the situation creates at least a familiar conversation. Drouin still brings offensive upside, but the numbers attached to his recent stops and the $4 million cap hit running through the summer of 2027 make any decision more complicated than a simple reunion pitch. If he clears, he would be free to sign anywhere, and Canadiens fans will be watching closely to see whether their team treats him as a possible addition or lets another club make the call first. [Read more 🡒]