The CH should try Kirby Dach at center on the second line during the preseason

Michaël Petit
The CH should try Kirby Dach at center on the second line during the preseason
Credit: Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

Kirby Dach has been the talk of the town since his arrival in Montreal. Unfortunately, it's mostly for the wrong reasons.

Sometimes, he pulls off some really nice moves and makes a great play, like on that famous goal in the playoffs against the Buffalo Sabres:

However, as we all know, he's been injured far too often, and that clearly hasn't helped his development. Since joining the NHL in 2019-20, he's never played a full season…

Many wondered if he would extend his contract with the Habs this summer, and the team ultimately gave him a one-year deal.

This is officially his very last chance to prove he can contribute on a second or third line, and to do so, he'll need to stay healthy—which will be his biggest challenge. Otherwise, his NHL career could be in jeopardy.

However, the Habs would also benefit from seeing him perform well, so as not to have wasted a trade.

That's partly why I think Martin St-Louis should give Dach one last real chance by trying him at center on the second line in the preseason, with Ivan Demidov alongside him.

Personally, I'd start by trying Dach at center with Zachary Bolduc (if he ultimately extends his contract) as well as Demidov.

Dach and Demidov have excellent vision and can find their teammates with ease. We can all agree that Demidov has a slight edge over Dach in this regard, but that doesn't change the fact that Dach is talented.

Furthermore, Zachary Bolduc has a great shot and would be put to good use playing alongside these two playmakers. He could then finish off the plays set up by Dach and Demidov.

Bolduc also knows how to use his size and isn't afraid to body up against opponents. He would therefore give Demidov and Dach more space to create scoring chances.

Bolduc more than deserves a real chance on the second line, and I believe that, for now, it would be a very good line—even though it's missing at least one more top-six-caliber player on offense.

If Dach were to get injured (which we certainly hope doesn't happen) or simply isn't performing, Oliver Kapanen could very well reclaim his center position on the second line. He still had a solid season with 22 goals, even if Demidov played a major role in that.

If Demidov helped Kapanen score so many goals in his rookie season, why couldn't he help Dach get back on track?


In a Nutshell

– Well done.

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– Yes, you saw that right… Four goals for Messi against CF Montréal in a game that ended with a score of 7-1…

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