Blackhawks 2024 NHL Draft Profile 1.0 includes an ultra-intriguing local product

How well can Michael Hage handle the puck?

Michael Hage is a great passer, but we’ll talk about that later and right now focus more on one trait that makes him so outstanding at spreading the puck around. But it also contributes to his dynamic shot, as he’s constantly finding ways to shield the puck from opponents, even when it seems like he’s trapped against the boards, biding him time to find either a passing or a shooting lane. 

His incredible stickhandling also allows him to catch a puck in traffic and find ways to deke it around opponents who, for a split second, look as though they’re going to steal the puck. There are also times when it seems like an opponent disrupted his path toward the goal, only for him to skate around them while taking the puck wide, keeping it glued to his stick the entire time. 

What is Michael Hage’s most dynamic trait?

Michael Hage may be a strong, selective shooter, and one reason behind that is that he possesses outstanding vision and awareness. This lets him diagnose and process not only where his teammates are, but also where his opponents are lurking, allowing him to make smart decisions on where to go with the puck. 

If there’s an open teammate coming up the wing or up the middle, Hage will see them every single time, and there’s a good chance the puck will end up in the back of the net shortly after he makes his pass. And he’s sneaky, with the ability to see an open teammate through traffic or even fit the puck through tight windows. 

Hage also knows where the puck needs to go before a teammate even passes it his way, meaning he can be a forward-thinking player. He’ll take the pass, hang onto the puck just long enough until an opponent bites, then quickly, and sometimes blindly, will get it to a teammate. 

There are very few passes that he can’t make, as his cross-ice passes, drop-passes, and backhanded passes are all more than proficient. And if you take one look at his number of helpers listed earlier, you shouldn’t be surprised that he hit the 40-assist milestone.