Montreal Canadiens' coach Martin St-Louis has a special relationship with his player, perhaps because he spent many years in their shoes, but whatever the reason, it means that you won't see him come out in the media to say something to one of his players.
Since the start of training camp, it’s fair to say that one Montreal Canadiens forward has stood out and not for the right reasons: Kirby Dach. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that he showed up to camp and declined to speak about his contract negotiations; few players would be happy to talk about being essentially forced to file for arbitration and accept a two-way qualifying offer. However, what is surprising is the fact that the offseason didn’t set a fire under his backside. One would have thought he'd show up eager to prove the Habs brass wrong and that he was worth a four-million, one-way qualifying offer.
Instead, what we are seeing on the ice is a Dach that doesn’t seem to be giving his all. He’s skating like a guy who believes he has a guaranteed spot in the lineup and who doesn’t want to take any risks in the preseason. Meanwhile, Florian Xhekaj is as intense as can be every time he is on the ice, skating hard, hitting hard and leaving a calling card.
Of course, they are not the same kind of player, but unfortunately for Dach, they are both competing for a bottom-six spot. The Albertan looks like a player who believes he should be in the top six and therefore doesn’t need to earn a bottom-six role. However, even if he were a third overall pick, there is no room on the Canadiens’ top six for Dach, and he needs to adapt his game accordingly, something he has failed to do so far.
He doesn’t play like a 6-foot-4, 221-pound guy. When there’s a battle for the puck, he never seems to want it more; he almost concedes the win before the duel even starts, which makes him frustrating to watch. Dach looks like a guy who made it to the NHL on talent alone but doesn’t realize talent alone isn't enough to guarantee success in the best league of them all. You need to put in the work.
Many talented players are on the ice, but the ones who really stand out understand their identity and keep perfecting their craft. I dare say he reminds me of Alexandre Daigle, who had all the talent and potential in the world but who didn’t really want to be there in the end, or even Benoit Pouliot, who was a Minnesota Wild fourth overall pick in 2005; he had talent and a truckload of potential, but he never truly unlocked it all (the Habs can thank the Wild for that one, since they were going to pick him if he was still available).
While fans and media alike are getting frustrated by Dach’s performances, coach Martin St-Louis remains even-keeled through it all. In Brossard on Wednesday, he was asked what he needs to see from Dach in the last week of camp, and he replied, "I wouldn’t say it’s one thing; just continue to work on his game and get ready for the season." That answer took all of six seconds.
If St-Louis isn’t happy with Dach’s work, he won't tell him through the media. He’ll tell him to his face, whether on the ice during practice, in the room during a game, or simply by cutting his ice time. When he said at the start of training camp that he didn’t know what Dach’s role this season with the Habs would be, it was as close as he will ever get to sending a message through the media; don’t expect him to go any further. St-Louis has been a player in this league, and he is and will always be a player’s coach. That doesn’t mean a player gets a free ride; it just means St-Louis isn't John Tortorella.
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