The Athletic -
But the Canadiens’ management team of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have repeatedly cited the trade they swung to acquire Dach as something they would like to repeat this offseason. They believe in Dach as an important part of the Canadiens’ future and as a centre. He is, in many ways, the poster child for how they want to do business, a player who was undervalued by another organization who they developed into something more than he was in his previous stop. To the Canadiens, the Dach story is an important message to other players who have failed to reach their full potential that they can do that in Montreal. He is the prime example of what working under Martin St. Louis and the Canadiens development staff can do for your career. His importance is far greater than simply what he does on the ice.
The Canadiens seem somewhat reticent to pay too much for Dubois. He might not get the $9 million he is seeking, but the Canadiens are not likely to be interested in anything close to that number. The Bratt contract seems closer to what they would be willing to do, but the fact Dubois can play centre and has more of a power-forward profile at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds means he can make the argument he is worth quite a bit more than that, despite the similar numbers. If the Canadiens are willing to go to $8.5 million, or Roope Hintz money, that might make it work. But would the other teams on Dubois’ list be willing to go higher? It’s entirely possible.
