Poor Kirby Dach.
The young CH striker is starting to get whistles. The fact that he is so fragile has earned him unflattering nicknames such as “porcelain”, because he is always on the sidelines.
Some even go so far as to say that his career is in danger. The Athletic, once optimistic about his future at center, now sees him as a winger.
This highlights with the fluorescent yellow marker a larger problem for the Montreal Canadiens: an obvious weakness on the wings.
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton must become aware of this worrying situation. Currently, the team is ranked 25th in the NHL at full strength with its wingers, which is far from expectations for a team trying to emerge from a rebuild.
The Canadiens are looking for franchise talent, particularly wingers capable of occupying the first and second lines.
Two players know them: Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovský. Caufield appears ready to take a big step forward as he looks to bounce back from his more difficult year, while Slafkovský showed flashes of brilliance in the second half of last season to the point where he is considered a prodigy.
However, this is far from enough on the wings. The priority for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton must be to find another top winger and another second line to complement them this summer via trade.
A fully healthy Kirby Dach could potentially fill that need, but that remains a shaky assumption given his history. He could hurt himself at the first touch he receives.
The Montreal Canadiens cannot afford to ignore this problem any longer. A clear strategy needed in the transaction market to improve the wings.
Not for nothing that Martin Necas, Trevor Zegras, Patrik Laine are all names that CH supporters want. Meanwhile, Kirby Dach must be wondering what will happen with him. Not a center. Not a good winger. Not healthy. Just broken promises.
What will happen?
Kirby Dach must recover physically and psychologically after this trying season. Dach suffered a season-ending injury before even five full periods of the 2023-24 campaign were played, and it’s hard to understate how terrible it’s been.
The timing was particularly bad for Dach and the Canadiens, as both the player and the team were aiming and looking ready to take a big step forward in their development. Since then, both have suffered greatly.
For the Canadiens, losing one of their most important players from the start was a big blow. They still wonder what might have happened if Dach hadn’t been hurt.
As coach Martin St. Louis said several times during the year: “Sometimes you can’t help but say, ‘Imagine if we had Kirby?’ »
Dach, who underwent surgery to repair the anterior and medial cruciate ligaments in his right knee on Oct. 31, has been haunted by that thought since learning of the damage caused in his Oct. 14 collision with Jared Tinordi against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks. The pain he felt was more than physical.
Less than 12 weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, the injury left Dach on crutches, once again having to miss all the things that make the NHL special: the practices, the games, the camaraderie in the locker room and during travel.
“Having a whole season taken away from you is not a good feeling. ” did he declare.
But neither he nor the Canadians let this continue. The emphasis from both sides on not letting this season be wasted on player development is a glimmer of hope that should not be overlooked.
Dach is committed to progressing in this process by deciding to stay in Montreal and continually be around the team.
Aside from the two to three weeks he spent at home with his family over the Christmas break, he has been a regular presence on the bench during practices and morning warmups.
He also devoted the rest of his time in Montreal to continuing his rehabilitation with a physical preparation team to which he says he is indebted.
On the Canadian side, they not only did their part to make Dach feel involved on a daily basis, but they also did everything possible to stimulate his personal growth. One of the methods used is particularly unique.
While we’re not sure, it’s unimaginable that many NHL coaches would invite one of their younger players to regularly attend their pre-scouting meetings, but that’s exactly what St. Louis did with Dach.
The coach not only asked the player to sit as a silent observer; he encouraged him to be an active participant and use his knowledge to benefit the Canadians to better prepare the team to face their opponents.
“That’s the great thing about a coaching staff like Marty and the other coaches,” said Dach said.
“They are open to a two-way conversation and discussion rather than just telling me what to do and thinking about it.” »
This approach allowed Dach to stay engaged in a daily process that his injury would have naturally kept him away from.
Dach said the experience was illuminating and, most importantly, beneficial for him. “It’s huge,” he said.
“I think more than anything, I see the game through different people’s eyes and I’ve had a lot of good discussions with Marty about the game and the way he sees it and the way I see it, and good discussions like that, and I think, for me, as a player, it can only benefit me in the long run. »
Although he prefers to be on the ice playing with his teammates, that just wasn’t in the cards this year. Dach has found other ways to work on his game and prepare for next year.
When asked what he learned from the video sessions with the coaching staff, he replied:
“For me, it’s just about learning the game, seeing things from different angles and understanding why you want to do certain things on the ice and where you want to be in space to make different plays. » He added that it helped him see the game in a way he wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
St. Louis also appreciated this time, using this period to interact with a player he constantly complimented for his playing intelligence. The coach was pleased to see how Dach went beyond just attending these meetings , sharing his ideas with him and the coaches.
Dach took it upon himself to help his teammates, like when he helped Juraj Slafkovský through tough times earlier in the season. This shows Dach’s character and leadership, essential qualities for a player of his caliber.
Physically, Dach feels strong and ready for next season. Dach hopes he can put his injury worries behind him. After being limited to just 18 games in 2020-21 due to a wrist injury and missing 24 games last season with various injuries, the early injury was a blow he hopes never repeats.
Until the next contact…
