Kirby Dach and Martin St. Louis are back under the light, and Montreal may finally be nearing the end of this gamble.
That is the hard read after another season where Dach's talent flashed only in short stretches before the same problem took over again.
The issue is no longer upside. Everybody in the organization still sees the size, the hands, and the middle-ice tools that made him such a tempting bet in the first place.
The issue is availability. Over 4 seasons with the Canadiens, Dach has missed 174 regular-season games and played only 154.
That number is what changes the conversation. At some point, bad luck stops feeling temporary and starts shaping the player's whole file.
Kent Hughes called Dach a talented player who has been unlucky with injuries, and that part is fair. But summer decisions are not made on sympathy.
“At this point, it's probably best for the Canadiens and Dach to move on.”
- Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette
Montreal also has a contract call staring it in the face. To keep his rights, the Canadiens would need to qualify him at $4 million, or find a cheaper deal both sides can live with.
“During his four seasons with the Canadiens, Dach has missed more regular-season games with injuries (174) than he has played (154).”
- Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette
A controversial player could be on his way out after Montreal reached its limit
Because the on-ice return has not matched the bet. Dach finished this season with 8 goals and 15 points in 37 games, then ended the playoffs with no points in his last 9 games.
He also had no shots on goal in the final 4 games against Carolina. For a player once projected as a long-term second-line center, that is a brutal finish.
The original trade now looks even heavier. Montreal moved Alexander Romanov, turned that into the 13th pick, then flipped that selection and a third-rounder to Chicago for Dach.
Chicago used that pick on Frank Nazar, who just put up 41 points in 66 games. That part is not Dach's fault, but it does sharpen the cost of staying patient.
St. Louis also showed where things stand by the end. Dach started the season at second-line center and finished the playoffs as a fourth-line winger. That is not growth. That is a slide.
“Four years after acquiring Dach, Hughes must now realize why the Blackhawks were willing to trade him.”
- Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette
None of this means Dach cannot still play. He is only 25, still has real tools, and clearly has fought through more mentally and physically than most fans ever see.
But Montreal is past the stage of waiting on potential alone. This team just made a real push, and the roster now needs more certainty than Dach has been able to provide.
That is why this feels different now. The Canadiens do not need to argue whether Kirby Dach is talented. They need to decide whether they can keep building around a player who is almost never available long enough to prove it.
Source : Cowan: It's time for the Canadiens to move on from Kirby Dach experience
Should the Canadiens move on from Kirby Dach this summer?
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