2nd Line Center Question

[Lafleurs Guy]

100%, went around and around with Dach, Roy, and Newhook being a brutal second line.

Definitely true. And unfortunately you were right.

2C - not much they can do now. However, they better find one next summer and add veteran talent to the D core or next season will be once again over in mid November.

We’ll see. My guess is they sit tight.

 

[calder candidate]

We are a rebuilding team we don’t really have the asset to get legit 2C, that won’t fit in our time line anyway… wait for Dach even if he end up on the wing.

 

[HuGort]

This keeps coming up in different forms so I figured I'd create it's own thread for it here.

The Canadiens came into this season pretty confident that Dach would be their number two. So far it hasn't worked out that way and as a result the entire lineup seems off. Posters seem split on what to do with Dach himself but while he works to get his confidence back, we still remain without a true number two center. So what route do we take?

Option 1. Stay the course. Wait for Dach to find his game and tough it out. This likely results in a high pick anyway so there's an extra benefit from going this route.
Option 2. Trade for a temporary fix. We could trade for a Monahan/Malkin type and ride them for a couple of years. We'd probably go up in the standings but they could help the youngters develop.
Option 3. Trade for a more permanent solution. In this scenario we get somebody who can fill in for years at the position.

In all of these scenarios, I like the idea of keeping Dach. I think he'll regain his form even if it takes time. At the very least he'd be great to have for center depth.

Probably trade for quality center at draft. A top 2 center hard to find. Even if we draft a Misa or Desnoyers they are three years from helping us. Dach has no durable, don't rely on him

 

[WeThreeKings]

Probably trade for quality center at draft. A top 2 center hard to find. Even if we draft a Misa or Desnoyers they are three years from helping us. Dach has no durable, don't rely on him

Misa won't be three years away from helping. He's probably playing next year in the NHL, if not, then it's one year of junior and he's in the NHL.

 

[Vachon23]

Maybe Tyler Seguin as Sean Monahan type of trade ?

I could see Dallas trying to make space on their salary cap

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We are a rebuilding team we don’t really have the asset to get legit 2C, that won’t fit in our time line anyway… wait for Dach even if he end up on the wing.

We have assets out the Yin Yang. We have extra picks, tons of prospects… that’s not a problem.

 

[morhilane]

Maybe Tyler Seguin as Sean Monahan type of trade ?

I could see Dallas trying to make space on their salary cap

Seguin's aav is almost $10m and last a year more than Price's contrat. Too much...and the Stars will never pay the cost to cap dump him anyway.

 

[Habs Icing]

What is the Canadiens first line centre problem?

We only have one Suzuki. That's the problem.

 

[Vachon23]

Seguin's aav is almost $10m and last a year more than Price's contrat. Too much...and the Stars will never pay the cost to cap dump him anyway.

Do we really need that money though ? And where getting a center that can give us 60 pts and + season.

Only thing that I see, it’s I’m not sure he will waive his NMC for MTL

 

[vokiel]

I'd trade Dach while we can salvage a hockey trade. Similar to Latendresse for Pouliot. I'd target wingers with compete who initiate contact, not wait for it.

Or a veteran RD to replace Savard.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'd trade Dach while we can salvage a hockey trade. Similar to Latendresse for Pouliot. I'd target wingers with compete who initiate contact, not wait for it.

Or a veteran RD to replace Savard.

 

[le_sean]

Maybe we have our 2nd line centre (Suzuki), what we need is to draft our 1st line centre (Misa or Hagens)

 

[MD thaivuN]

you ride Dach until you get a Hagens/Misa

 

[morhilane]

Do we really need that money though ? And where getting a center that can give us 60 pts and + season.

Only thing that I see, it’s I’m not sure he will waive his NMC for MTL

We will know what is available when next season start. Habs only have 8 players signed for Seguin's last contract year. They have 7-8 spots to fill next season (contract extension, prospects, new acquisitions), and 7-8 again the year after.

Hughes has pretty much filled the cap space as it was created. Also, Andy/Gally are still on the roster (last season).

 

[vokiel]

Yeah a player who waits to be hit and rarely creates anything doing it. Thanks for confirming we need to trade him while some folks are still convinced he's worth something in the NHL.

 

[junyab]

Keep Dach. Give him #2C for the rest of the year. Treat it as his extended tryout for the position. Reassess after the season.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Maybe we have our 2nd line centre (Suzuki), what we need is to draft our 1st line centre (Misa or Hagens)

The Suzuki contract allows them to have winger depth. Misa, or whoever, will have good line mates without the immediate pressure of performing like a #1. … and if he does, the NS Cap hit is fine as a #2.

It would be a bit like the Hishier/Hughes situation where the line btw 1st and 2nd C has been blurry. (Hughes landed on wing last season)

 

[le_sean]

The Suzuki contract allows them to have winger depth. Misa, or whoever, will have good line mates without the immediate pressure of performing like a #1. … and if he does, the NS Cap hit is fine as a #2.

It would be a bit like the Hishier/Hughes situation where the line btw 1st and 2nd C has been blurry. (Hughes landed on wing last season)

Misa and Demidov on ELCs for 3 years could propel this team pretty quickly into contention, as bad as they look now. You’re likely getting 1st line production from the two nearly right away (or at least in Year 2)

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah a player who waits to be hit and rarely creates anything doing it. Thanks for confirming we need to trade him while some folks are still convinced he's worth something in the NHL.

Nah what it shows is that you've just made up a thing about Kirby Dach and want to parrot it as true.

Kirby Dach is not someone who waits for contact. Does it go in and out? Sure. As it does with a lot of young players, especially those coming back from a massive injury.

But Kirby Dach is not someone who shies away from contact. He's fought and done well in his fights too.

The soft label for Dach is so off base that it throws away any other analysis of the player. There's enough he's struggling with coming back from his injury, we don't need to invent new narratives.

 

[Kosseca]

We have assets out the Yin Yang. We have extra picks, tons of prospects… that’s not a problem.

I think the problem is more the absence of potential trade target right now.

 

[26Mats]

Nah what it shows is that you've just made up a thing about Kirby Dach and want to parrot it as true.

Kirby Dach is not someone who waits for contact. Does it go in and out? Sure. As it does with a lot of young players, especially those coming back from a massive injury.

But Kirby Dach is not someone who shies away from contact. He's fought and done well in his fights too.

The soft label for Dach is so off base that it throws away any other analysis of the player. There's enough he's struggling with coming back from his injury, we don't need to invent new narratives.

I really liked what I was seeing in Dach pre injury, both offensively and and all over the 200 feet of the ice.

So I really hope he can fully recover from his injury. There's no guarantee. And, it could end up taking even a few years.

The problem is, for this season, we desperately needed a 2c, and he would have been by far the best option. Not his fault that he's not. Hopefully he can find a role as he tries to get his game back.

My money is on Laine being the best option at 2c for the second half of the season. But finding and discovering Laine's best position and linemates will also be a process I would imagine.

 

[vokiel]

Nah what it shows is that you've just made up a thing about Kirby Dach and want to parrot it as true.

Kirby Dach is not someone who waits for contact. Does it go in and out? Sure. As it does with a lot of young players, especially those coming back from a massive injury.

But Kirby Dach is not someone who shies away from contact. He's fought and done well in his fights too.

The soft label for Dach is so off base that it throws away any other analysis of the player. There's enough he's struggling with coming back from his injury, we don't need to invent new narratives.

He skates with the puck in the offensive zone, does nothing with it, then waits for Gudaz to reach him to pad his hit stats, achieving nothing. Did he try crashing the net? Nope. Did he even attempt a shot? Neither. It's either not a good example of Dach's worth, or exactly what the problem is with him.

I don't want losers like this on the team. Sorry for you, your idol is just a nothing player at the moment. Not that I ever thought he was anything more than a nothing player personally.

I'd take Rene Bourque or Lhars Eller over him any day.

 

[FerrisRox]

We only have one Suzuki. That's the problem.

So the plan would be to have two first line centres on the first line.

Got it.

 

[Egresch]

There are no realistic options now. Malkin or Seguin would not waive their NMC for MTL. In the offseason, Gourde might be realistic, but he is more 3C. Good vet who would replace Dvorak, Evans...
Realistically, we stay patient with Dach, Hage might be ready pretty soon as well. His chances are higher than Hagens IMO.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I'm wondering how much the injury is still bothering him. I'm not sure it's Dach being lazy as much as it might be his leg not being completely healed and ready for the speed of the NHL.

Personally, I'm not ready to give up on him. I still think he has a huge upside and it might take a while longer to get back to where he was prior to the injury in game two of last season.

It's definitely completely healed otherwise he wouldn't be playing. His legs in general might lack strength. There's not much you can do when one is in a brace.