Canadiens Urged to Wait for Hage Rather Than Trade for Help During Suzuki Absence

The debate over how the Montreal Canadiens should cope without captain Nick Suzuki intensified on Tuesday, with former scout Grant McCagg arguing the club does not need to trade for a second-line centre — it needs to wait for Michael Hage. Suzuki is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury and, according to the latest injury report, is expected to be out until at least November 18, with the Winnipeg Jets visiting Montreal on Tuesday night. McCagg's case rests on the standings. Montreal sits at 9-3-2, fifth in the NHL, riding a five-game winning streak with an 8-1-1 mark over its last 10 games, and the group has already won five straight in regulation without its captain. Last year's Canadiens collected 106 points without blowing up the prospect pool for a second-line centre, McCagg noted, and this year's group has a real sample of winning without Suzuki, who has played nine of the 14 games so far. The counter-argument is that a five-game streak is a cushion, not a guarantee. Suzuki has 12 points in nine games this season, with five goals and a plus-6 rating, and he was back on the ice in Brossard in full gear last week, a first sign of progress. Hage, the 21st pick in the 2024 draft, is 20 years old and has yet to play an NHL game, so the "wait for Hage" plan rests on a player with no NHL track record. There is also the background noise: Pierre LeBrun was split 50-50 last week on a Hage-for-Dylan Larkin swap. If the wins dry up before Suzuki returns, that conversation will come straight back.