Stéphane Waite didn't hold back on RDS Saturday night, and his verdict on Kirby Dach's preseason with the Canadiens was about as harsh as it gets.
"The only positive thing about Kirby Dach's preseason was that he played three games and he wasn't injured," Waite said on L'Antichambre.
He added that the center didn't register a single point in those three games.
The last of them came Saturday in Ottawa, where he logged 21:21 and managed one shot on goal in a 4-3 loss.
That's a rough look for a player whose name has been all over the trade market.
Frank Seravalli reported the Oilers and Flames have kept close tabs on him, with the Canadiens holding firm on a high asking price.
So does a quiet September change that price?
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1. Things are getting worse for Kirby Dach after yesterday's game
It should. Holding out for more than a second-rounder after a preseason like that is a bad bet for Montreal.
Multiple teams were believed to have offered that second-round pick back in June.
Waite's injury line wasn't a throwaway, either. Dach dressed for just 37 games last season.
He did find his game in the spring, with four goals in 19 playoff games.
Career-wise, he has 136 points in 306 NHL games.
He carries a $3,600,000 cap hit and becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The Canadiens even turned his $4 million qualifying offer into a two-way deal this summer to negotiate the number down.
It's like trying to sell a car that stalled on the test drive. The buyer might still take it, but the price just dropped.
Here's a twist for the Oilers. His younger brother, Colton Dach, logged 12:41 in Edmonton's 4-1 win over Calgary on Saturday, the same two teams chasing Kirby.
The Oilers finished the preseason 4-0-0. The Flames closed at 1-2-1.
The Canadiens wrapped up at 4-1-0 and open Tuesday in Toronto.
They can still wait him out. But every quiet night makes those Alberta offers look a little more reasonable.
Should the Canadiens lower their asking price for Kirby Dach after his quiet preseason?
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