The Montreal Canadiens once again find themselves facing a cruel mirror.
Saturday evening, after a humiliating defeat against the Golden Knights, the observation is implacable: the team is prisoner of its shortcomings and its underperforming players.
But it is off the ice that the failure becomes even more damning, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have made it clear that Kirby Dach does not fit into their plans.
David Jiricek, a young, complete and physical right-handed defender that the Canadian seemed to covet, is moving away from Montreal.
Don Waddell, general manager of the Blue Jackets, was categorical: he is looking for a young defender with great potential, similar to Jiricek’s profile.
Kirby Dach, for his part, does not meet any of the criteria sought. Worse, his name only arouses indifference, even contempt, on the transaction market.
A brutal reality for Kent Hughes, who sees his options narrowed to nothing.
Kirby Dach’s story in Montreal is one of disappointed hope. Presented as a future second-line center capable of supporting Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, Dach has only multiplied the errors and shameful performances.
Saturday evening, he single-handedly embodied the collective collapse of his people. His pass directly onto Jack Eichel’s stick opened the floodgates for the Golden Knights, triggering an avalanche of goals in the second period.
After this catastrophic turnaround, Dach was relegated to the fourth line by Martin St-Louis, a decision which reflects not only his performance of the evening, but also his dizzying fall in the hierarchy of the Canadian.
Alongside Lucas Condotta and Juraj Slafkovsky, also in the midst of sporting turmoil, Dach dragged his shame on his back, unable to demonstrate that he could bounce back.
And this is not the first time that his trainer has tried to send him a message. When asked about the decision, St. Louis was scathing.
“It doesn’t take me anymore. »
A scathing statement that suggests patience with Dach is crumbling, as is his value in the eyes of other NHL teams.
While Dach sinks on the ice, Logan Mailloux fades into anonymity in Laval.
Considered by some as a key piece in a possible trade for David Jiricek, Mailloux is going through a catastrophic period in Laval.
His defensive game is crumbling, his physical impact is non-existent, and his decisions with the puck are far from the level required for the NHL.
Where the Canadian was hoping for a hopeful on the rise, he only got a defender in crisis, incapable of justifying his place in a serious discussion for a player of Jiricek’s caliber.
Kent Hughes, who counted on Mailloux to be able to convince the Blue Jackets on the transaction market, found himself abandoned by a player who was supposed to represent the future.
And what about Arber Xhekaj? What should have been a tough, intimidating defender became a shadow on the ice.
On Saturday night, as his team was humiliated in front of their fans, Xhekaj was conspicuous by his absence in moments when his role required him to stand up. Not a fight to change the tone, not a significant check to inspire his teammates. Nothing.
In a league that is evolving towards an increasingly fast and strategic game, Xhekaj’s one-dimensional profile is losing relevance every day.
And in the transaction market its value is equally insignificant. Kent Hughes knows it: he can’t hope to convince Don Waddell with a player who doesn’t even show any utility in his own lineup.
With Kirby Dach discredited, Mailloux in free fall and Xhekaj worthless, the only names that retain any semblance of credibility in Montreal are those of Kaiden Guhle and David Reinbacher.
But these two young defenders, one untouchable and the other injured, cannot be sacrificed to acquire Jiricek.
Especially since Reinbacher, even on the sidelines, is also untouchable. Kent hughes cannot admit his mistake of having preferred him to Matvei Michkov.
And without them, the Canadian simply does not have the necessary assets to meet the demands of the Blue Jackets.
Saturday night’s humiliating defeat is a reflection of an organization that is stagnating, unable to progress on the ice or behind the scenes.
Kent Hughes, who was supposed to lead this team to a bright future, finds himself stuck with a roster full of unwanted players, with no real value on the market.
We can console ourselves with Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage who are making sparks, but the reality is that the CH is light years away from seeing… the light at the end of the tunnel.
Don Waddell, for his part, has no reason to cede David Jiricek to a team incapable of offering convincing elements.
And meanwhile, Canadian fans watch their team get bogged down in a reconstruction that looks more and more like a horror film.
Naturalness is coming back at a gallop, they say. For the Canadian, this naturalness is that of failure, of the inability to transform promises into reality.
And barring a spectacular turnaround, this Saturday night will go down as another dark chapter in the recent history of this once-legendary franchise.
In any case, Kent Hughes is experiencing a real nightmare on the transaction market. Abandoned by Dach, abandoned by Mailloux…
David Jiricek is moving a little further away from Montreal.
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