Habs prospect praised by a teammate at rookie camp

The Montreal Canadiens made a masterstroke at the last draft, as the Montreal organization managed to snag Russian forward Ivan Demidov.

While the Russian is already seen as the eighth wonder of the world by fans, the other first-round pick, Michael Hage, has garnered praise from one of the Canadiens' other draft picks.

The impressively built defenseman Owen Protz praised the team's second first-round pick.

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This time, the Habs' 2024 fourth-round pick, Owen Protz, did not mince words when talking about Michael Hage's talent.

It's possible that several teams selecting ahead of the Canadiens during the amateur draft may have underestimated the potential of the 18-year-old player.

In an interview with Grant McCagg and Shayne Gaumont, Protz had much to say about the Canadiens' 2024 second first-round pick (21st overall).

What were his first impressions of Michael Hage when he saw him play?

One might wonder if the Canadiens' acquisition of Demidov at the fifth overall spot meant that all the spotlight was on him, while they also made a great selection with Hage.

Owen Protz's comments give a great insight into his future teammate but also justify, for now, Kent Hughes' decision. The Canadiens' general manager had a game plan for the 21st overall pick, and it seems to have materialized.

If we go by the words of Owen Protz's opponents, Kent Hughes has secured a very tough young defenseman with his 102nd overall pick in 2024. Could he play a role similar to that of Arber Xhekaj in a few years?

Only time will tell... For now, the Canadiens were fortunate with the draft held in Las Vegas. Now, the development of these players must continue to reach their full potential.

Credit: DansLesCoulisses
Owen Protz Was Astonished by Michael Hage's Talent
https://www.danslescoulisses.com/owen-protz-etait-sidere-par-le-talent-de-michael-hage/

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