Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach had a tough start to the playoffs, but he's bounced back nicely since then and might even have convinced the Habs brass to bring him back for next season.
After Game 2 of the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kirby Dach was the talk of the town, and not for the right reason. It was his icing that led to the defensive-zone faceoff on which the Bolts scored the game-winning goal in that second duel. Fans and media alike, including THN, were clamoring for him to be scratched in Game 3, but Martin St-Louis stuck to his guns and not only kept him in, but moved him to center. The message to Dach couldn’t be clearer: the coach had his back, and he was not going to give up on him.
At that stage, the big Albertan had no points and had a minus-one rating. The following game was one of the best Dach had ever played wearing the Sainte-Flanelle. He registered a goal and an assist and was everywhere on the ice alongside Zach Bolduc and Alexandre Texier. That line ended up being the Habs’ best in the first round. The Frenchman is no longer on their line these days against the Buffalo Sabres; it’s Joe Veleno who completes it, but the unit is still effective.
Dach might not have been dominant offensively in all the games so far, but the truth of the matter is that right now, he has five points, four goals, and an assist, exactly like Juraj Slafkovsky. However, the centerman has a plus-six rating while the power forward sports a minus-six rating. Of course, Dach’s line, which gets fourth-line minutes, is not on the ice as often and doesn’t get the toughest match-up. Still, their contribution has been essential, and their ability to contribute offensively despite limited ice time has been key to the Canadiens’ success.
With his contract being up this summer, Dach’s bounce-back performance will put Kent Hughes in a tricky position. The big center is often injured and has been largely inconsistent during his four-year tenure with the Canadiens. The GM will have to weigh the risks and rewards of keeping the big forward around. If the Habs opt to keep him, they will have to make him a qualifying offer of $4 million. That’s a much more digestible number if the playoff version of Dach starts showing up in the regular season, but that’s not a guarantee.
Needless to say, the longer the Canadiens’ spring goes on and the more consistent the big center becomes, the better his chances of getting a qualifying offer from the team. This summer will be the last time he is an RFA. At the end of his next contract, he will be a UFA and free to go wherever he pleases.
It seems highly unlikely that Hughes will want to sign him to a long-term contract as things stand; he’s still too much of a gamble, but he may be willing to give him another bridge deal, another chance to show the Canadiens what he can do. Something that seemed inconceivable to many, including this writer, after Game 2 of the first-round series. Dach has flipped the script and can be proud of what he has accomplished so far in these playoffs, but he can hopefully keep building on it.
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