Practice: Kirby Dach also had a message

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Practice: Kirby Dach also had a message
Credit: Combien vaut Kirby Dach?

Another day of training camp has begun in Brossard. And it's going to be a busy one.

Before the intra-squad game, we noticed that Ivan Demidov was still absent from practice. He's been given another day off to undergo treatment.

But more importantly, Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj practiced with the AHL guys. This comes on the heels of Martin St-Louis's comments regarding the role of young players in Montreal.

That doesn't mean they won't get their chance in the intra-squad game. But it does mean that during practice, they weren't with the regulars.

So the group assignments (A and B) don't tell the whole story this morning.

Our clues come mainly from today's lineups. And behind the news about Florian Xhekaj—a player who got the message—there's another guy who needs to get the hint.

We're talking about Kirby Dach.

Since the Canadiens keep insisting they're not worried about Ivan Demidov, seeing Kirby Dach play in his place inevitably makes him the guy warming the Russian's seat.

Often, the extra forward will step in to fill a spot until the regular player returns.

Does Kirby Dach—who hasn't had a great training camp and who undoubtedly knows his future isn't necessarily in Montreal in the medium term—feel like the odd man out?

Because judging by what's happening in practice, it looks like Florian Xhekaj isn't the only one who got a message this morning.


In a Nutshell

– Today's defensive pairs.

– Oh?

– Um…

– A must-read.

– Interesting.

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