Marc Dumont
The 2026 NHL Entry Draft is set for Friday, a perfect opportunity for the Montreal Canadiens to evaluate the status of some of their best prospects, including Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky.
Hage was listed as the top prospect by Canadiens fans in our annual rankings, while Zharovsky finished third, however, this was prior to the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, a very encouraging year for both young forwards.
Hage NCAA Future
The 21st overall pick at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft scored 13 goals and 39 assists in 39 games for the University of Michigan (NCAA), whereas Zharovsky earned Rookie of the year honours in the KHL, scoring 16 goals and 26 assists in 59 games for Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
Neither player is expected to join the Canadiens in the upcoming season, as Hage has expressed an interest in returning to the NCAA, while Zharovsky is still under contract in the KHL.
The latter is a lock to stay in the KHL for the majority of the year, but Hage’s case is yet to be completely resolved, according Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens’ president of hockey operations.
“We’ve talked to Michael a lot,” he said. “He’s told us that he’d like to stay in school. We kinda left it there. We also told him to take some time. It’s a long summer, things happen. Maybe we add people, maybe we don’t. Maybe something happens at Michigan that changes your mind. We left it open.”
Without trying to put words in Gorton’s mouth, it appears the Canadiens weren’t entirely convinced another year in the NCAA was the best path forward.
Or at the very least, they wanted to perform due diligence before committing to one particular avenue.
It’s a fluid situation, and the team loves to keep as many options open as possible.
However, despite the slight ambiguity in Gorton’s initial response, he made it clear that the team would respect Hage’s ultimate decision.
“We’ll continue to talk to Michael,” he said. “But we’re going to respect his opinion, and if he wants to change that, we’ll be open to that discussion. If he wants to stay there, we’ll support him with that.”
Zharovsky Dossier
Seeing as Zharovsky has spent part of his summer in Montreal, alongside countryman Ivan Demidov, Gorton was asked about the possibility that he may end up with the Canadiens sooner than later.
It’s worth noting Zharovsky’s current deal with Salavat is set to expire on June 1, 2027.
“We expect him to play in Russia, he has another year in his contract,” clarified Gorton. “I think it’s good for him. He had a really good year. He’s in a good spot, and he’s done really well.
“This is just an opportunity a year ahead, we got him a visa and decided to get him over here, we thought it would be good for him. It’s good to see him, he’s doing well, and obviously, he’s learning from someone who has gone through it, so that’s helpful.”
Beyond the advantage of having a fellow Russian give Zharovsky the lay of the land, it’s quite interesting to learn that they went through the trouble of acquiring a visa for a relatively short visit in Montreal. Zharovsky was also involved in Daniel Milstein’s Russian camp, but the fact remains that the Canadiens did show a heightened level of interest in the incredibly talented 19-year-old.
