Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach is on the cusp of starting what could possibly be the most important season of his career.
Unfortunately for Kirby Dach, Montreal Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes hasn’t managed to make a big deal that would have diverted the spotlight from the often-injured forward when training camp opens in a little over two weeks. Given the lack of new arrivals or big stories, Dach, who’s now playing on a one-year, $3.6 million cap-hit deal, will be one of the topics of discussion when the puck drops on training camp.
What can we expect from Dach this upcoming season? It’s hard to say; the one thing nobody wants to see, just like Dach himself, is yet more injuries. At the end of the season, Dach will be an unrestricted free agent, and he needs to finally prove himself. Not just prove what he can do on the ice, but also that he can stay healthy.
There’s absolutely no denying that Dach has talent; there’s a reason he was taken third overall in the 2019 draft, but he has to find a way to be a consistent performer, day in and day out. Since joining the Habs, his best season was his first, when he put up 38 points in 58 games, for 0.66 points per game. On a full 84-game season, that would project to 55 points. However, last season, he put up only 15 points in 37 games, for 0.41 points per game, and projects to just 34 points in 84 games.
Either Dach finds the scoring touch he had in 2022-23, or he needs to change his style of play. If he cannot earn a spot on the top six out of camp, he needs to take a page out of Josh Anderson’s book and start playing with some weight and some grit. That’s the issue with Dach, as things stand: if he’s not putting up points, he’s not necessarily contributing much to the team.
At 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, the forward has to find a way to make an impact, and if he cannot do it by filling the net, he could do it with some hard forecheck. Is that in his DNA? No, it is not. However, it wasn’t in Joe Veleno’s either, but last season, he kept his head down and went to work to fill a bottom-of-the-lineup role.
If Dach is given yet another opportunity in the top six, which could realistically happen, he’ll be on a short leash, much like Samuel Montembeault will be if he’s still with the Habs. Could he bounce back? He could, but at this stage, it’s a gamble and one the Canadiens weren’t willing to bet $4 million on. It will be a make-or-break year for Dach; he needs to earn a new deal for next season, whether with the Canadiens or another team.
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