Did the Canadiens’ offer to Kirby Dach have a hidden message?

Kirby Dach has been the subject of quite a bit of talk recently.

And that's to be expected: he's a polarizing player who was looking for a contract after another season in which he had his moments of brilliance but, more often than not, struggled.

Which has actually been the case ever since he arrived in town.

His contract caused a stir because it became clear that the Canadiens offered him a two-part deal, which was permitted under the collective bargaining agreement due to the player's numerous missed games.

But clearly, that didn't sit well with the player himself, who accepted less money to ensure he signed a single-component deal—especially since he's just one year away from becoming a free agent eligible for compensationwithout any intention of bringing him back.

The Canadiens offered him this to get what they wanted and avoid such a big impact on the salary cap. But could there be another motive behind the Habs' offer?

After all, it's understandable that this must have insulted Dach, inevitably… and Eric Engels (Sick Podcast) recently pointed out that the Habs' #77 plays better when he's a little angry.

“I know that he's better when he plays with a chip on his shoulder and he's pissed off… I'd love to see him start that way” – @EricEngels on what Kirby Dach is capable of#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/BejAoQXfpc

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) July 21, 2026

The question arises: Did the Habs intentionally try to rile Dach up to bring out the best in him?

As I said, I believe the #1 goal was clearly to make an impact on the fans. But one might wonder if that wasn't part of the Canadiens' strategy.

It's worth noting, however, that Dach went through a rough patch in the playoffs (the whole Instagram account thing), but that didn't motivate him in the long run.

It had an immediate effect, but nothing more.

Overtime

What I'm trying to say is that if Dach wants to be successful in 2026–2027, he can't rely solely on external motivation. He doesn't necessarily need to be pushed by someone else to deliver.

If you NEED that to perform, it won't work.