Canadiens center Kirby Dach practiced in full gear during an informal skate today as he skates off the rust following yet another extensive knee surgery back in February, per Marc-Olivier Cook of Dans Les Coulisses.
Montreal never issued a specific recovery timeline for the 24-year-old after he had the surgery, just that he wouldn’t return in 2024-25. There was never any official word on whether he was expected to be ready for training camp, either, so today’s news is the first real indication of his progress in more than six months.
The Habs acquired the 2019 No. 3 overall pick from the Blackhawks in 2022, hoping that he could be a long-term second-line option behind captain Nick Suzuki. While he spent a good portion of his first season in Montreal on the wing, early returns were at least strong with 38 points in 58 games.
His first major knee injury came just two games into 2023-24, tearing his ACL and MCL in his right knee simultaneously. That threw away the rest of the season, and the extended time off certainly showed when he returned to action for 2024-25. He spent more time down the middle with more limited offensive output – 10 goals and 22 points – in 57 games before the second right knee injury ended that year as well.
Canadiens EVP Jeff Gorton said during exit meetings that the team still had hope in Dach, but certainly wasn’t banking on him returning to a top-six role out of the gate this fall after another lengthy absence. They may not have much of a choice, though. Montreal didn’t make any significant moves at forward this summer besides losing depth veteran Christian Dvorak and acquiring promising youngster Zachary Bolduc from the Blues in exchange for defense prospect Logan Mailloux. Bolduc played center in his junior days but has only seen time on the wing through his two NHL seasons in St. Louis. After scoring 36 points in 72 games last year, though, he would be their best option as a No. 2 pivot from the standpoint of last year’s offensive output if he can make the adjustment.
Dach has made a handsome living on Injured Reserve.
As a Hawks fan I wish him the best. Always thought we pulled the trigger very early when they moved him. Also interesting that the player they ended up getting (Nazar) just got a massive commitment from the same GM in an incredibly small sample size. Obviously a different world than 3 years ago but still a bit curious.
As a habs fan, he’s a better winger than center and we traded for him in the hope of finding a 2C. He’s been ok we he plays, but he is literally made of glass.
Not sure I would renew his contract if he doesn’t show improvement or prove he can be healthy for 70+ games
Very few moves that Kent has made have turned sour, this one is stinking just a little bit.