Player Discussion Kirby Dach: Welcome to Montreal part 2

[HabbyGuy]

It's the easiest decision to make.. you just keep playing him, coaching him and working with him this year. At the end of the year if his play hasn't come around to an appropriate level; then you send him home for the summer with a clear set of instructions on what he is to improve upon.

If Dach does or doesn't find his form by the end of the year, the calculus doesn't change, this group should be looking for improvements at the center. Whether it's finding a better 2C than Dach or a better 1C than Suzuki.

If you find an improvement or Dach comes in with the mindset and play to securely claim one of those spots, he is still an RFA after his contract ends NEXT YEAR, so you'll have plenty of runway to see if he's a top 6 fixture, or a guy in your middle 6, who will still provide value through his size, skill and ability to play wing or center. His cost for extension would remain very low.

He is not blocking a single internal option this year.
There is not a single external option that is a viable option right now and if there was, if he was playing well or not, it makes no difference, they should be looking at whether the acquisition cost makes sense.

Cutting losses with Dach right now is the singularly most stupid conclusion anyone can draw. You won't get what you paid to get him. You would be panicking far too early after a major injury especially in the context of a team that has several players not delivering to a previously established level.

You can only lose moving on from Dach prematurely.

It's so freaking obvious, how anyone cannot see this as the proper course of action from a managerial point of view is beyond me.

 

[WeThreeKings]

It's so freaking obvious, how anyone cannot see this as the proper course of action from a managerial point of view is beyond me.

It's insane. Everything is viewed through this mercurial, infantile lens.

Oh yeah, waive Dach.. what a brilliantly thought out move.

 

[Ozmodiar]

That said, Hughes should obviously be laying out some contingency plans regardless.

He’s already begun that process.

1st 4 picks last draft.

Demidov (C/W)
Hage (C)
Koivu (C)
Sawyer (C)

 

[Prettyisland]

You have no choice but to stay the course and hope somthing clicks. But it’s horrific to watch at this point. That second line is starving for a veteran winger of the toffoli variety for some on ice accountability and guidance

 

[26Mats]

You have no choice but to stay the course and hope somthing clicks. But it’s horrific to watch at this point. That second line is starving for a veteran winger of the toffoli variety for some on ice accountability and guidance

Monahan would have been nice. He can play center.

I'd try Dvo on the wing and to take draws. He works hard and doesn't need the puck on his stick. Laine and Dach do. They may not be a match.

 

[Tyson]

I'm conflicted on Dach.

On the one hand, you can look at Caufield literally from last season where he didn't look like the same player or scoring threat he was in the past (after surgery). It would have been really easy to throw our hands up, expect that it was going to continue to that way and give up on him.

On the other hand, Caufield has been a scoring threat his entire career and has consistently shown that. He had a form to return to. Dach hasn't really done anything other than the flash he showed in the second half of his first year here. We have an idea of what he could be (or now, could have been) but that's about it.

This is hard. Do you cut your apparent losses now or wait and see for yet another year? 2C is a super important position on a hockey team and we cant let a guy who's clearly floundering keep his spot without impunity for a whole season and a half if we expect to climb out of his rebuild.

Whatever decision they make will probably be the wrong one...par for the course from this organization over the past 30 years.

 

[Naslundforever]

I'm pretty sure Dach will be back at a level that we will want to keep him on the team. He is a big guy who's playing nervously right now. It takes time and in many cases, a lot of time to overcome the mental barriers. I think next off season (2026) will be decision time for him and Laine (maybe even Newhook too).

You’re too hard, give him a lifetime free pass. Retire his number.

 

[WeThreeKings]

You’re too hard, give him a lifetime free pass. Retire his number.

You're too soft, waive him now. We need to have Lucas Condotta playing 2C ASAP.

 

[Benstheman]

You’re too hard, give him a lifetime free pass. Retire his number.

Don't cry mate. Everything is gonna be alright.

 

[Naslundforever]

You're too soft, waive him now. We need to have Lucas Condotta playing 2C ASAP.

Would pay to watch him before Kirby here.

But I suspect the Goldie locks zone is somewhere in between icing a team that plays pro hockey and making the gm look good.

 

[Goalfield13]

30 games in and he still sucks. I want to give him until the TDL, but if we get to game 41 and he still sucks like this, he needs to be demoted to the bottom 6. I don't think it sets a good example to leave him in a premiere spot on the roster playing the way he does.

 

[Naslundforever]

Don't cry mate. Everything is gonna be alright.

No tears here; I’m just struck by how low hab fan collective standards have fallen. a decade of riding Price and then giving contracts to this bunch has rendered me numb I think.

 

[DAChampion]

From a sport psychology perspective, would it really be wrong to have sit for two or three games, or demote him to the 4th like for a few weeks?

Tell him he's a good player, but he needs to take a step back.

 

[Benstheman]

No tears here; I’m just struck by how low hab fan collective standards have fallen. a decade of riding Price and then giving contracts to this bunch has rendered me numb I think.

It has more to do with the fact we can't do nothing about it and not our standards.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

It's insane. Everything is viewed through this mercurial, infantile lens.

Oh yeah, waive Dach.. what a brilliantly thought out move.

Waiving him would be stupid but I don't see why a demotion to the 3rd or 4th line is so preposterous

Slafkovsky and Laine are more important to the Habs at this point and they have been playing with a black hole at 2C. Surely their chances at development would improve away from Dach.

And don't say that Dach is the best option we have at C, because literally everyone is better than him this year. Evans or Dvorak, doesn't matter, both better than Dach right now.

 

[BLONG7]

Caufield finished last season with a career high 65pts. Dach is on pace for 25 points. Comparing Caufield and Dach is simply disingenuous, their difference in performance and effort is easily seen and unfair to Caufield who never looked as checked out and behind the play as Dach looks.

Dach..............right now, does not look good at all. Checked out is a good analysis.
30 games in, I thought he would be on the upswing...............nope not even close yet. I also am not ready to throw in the towel here either, but maybe getting scratched would grab his attention?

 

[Naslundforever]

It has more to do with the fact we can't do nothing about it and not our standards.

“… we will want to keep him on the team. He is a big guy who's playing nervously right now. It takes time …”


Right.

It’s ok to like him, want him on the team, give him years to get (back?) in shape and contribute, and even to interchange “we” with “the Canadiens” when talking about them. To each their own.

 

[Habby4Life]

Dach was never a 2C going forward in my eyes , too flaky , that said it's easy to consistently be right about the teams players when you just expect the worst out of everybody for 20 years so I can't really take credit for calling it , I'd still keep him but I'm not high on him being 2C , I still think he will be able to *play* at a 2C level one day just not consistently enough for people to have been slotting him as 2C on our cup winning roster down the line.

He can't win a draw and can't play D , which is why Evans has surpassed him on the depth chart

Does anything more need to be said about Dach than this. I’m not knocking Jake, l really like the guy.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Waiving him would be stupid but I don't see why a demotion to the 3rd or 4th line is so preposterous

Slafkovsky and Laine are more important to the Habs at this point and they have been playing with a black hole at 2C. Surely their chances at development would improve away from Dach.

And don't say that Dach is the best option we have at C, because literally everyone is better than him this year. Evans or Dvorak, doesn't matter, both better than Dach right now.

Who do you replace him with? Dvorak?

 

[Benstheman]

“… we will want to keep him on the team. He is a big guy who's playing nervously right now. It takes time …”


Right.

It’s ok to like him, want him on the team, give him years to get (back?) in shape and contribute, and even to interchange “we” with “the Canadiens” when talking about them. To each their own.

Of course WE means The Organization. What's your point

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Who do you replace him with? Dvorak?

Probably Evans because he has earned it, but even Dvorak who has been atrocious this year has a better overall game right now.

 

[Naslundforever]

Of course WE means The Organization. What's your point

You wrote it’s not your standards after writing the exact the opposite in back to back posts but this must be really boring for others to read. No worries. I agree we can’t do anything but watch (or choose not to).

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Probably Evans because he has earned it, but even Dvorak who has been atrocious this year has a better overall game right now.

Evans is playing well because he’s in the right chair. Putting him on the 2nd doesn’t just mess up the 2nd line, it messes up the 4th.

Good player, I’ve been saying so for a long time. But he’s not a 2nd liner.I wouldn’t put him there.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Evans is playing well because he’s in the right chair. Putting him on the 2nd doesn’t just mess up the 2nd line, it messes up the 4th.

Good player, I’ve been saying so for a long time. But he’s not a 2nd liner.I wouldn’t put him there.

I'm actually big on the Evans bandwagon this year, .5 PPG and great defensively. Career year which is annoying in a contract year, but I like him a lot and hope he stays. He's one of the few players on our team having a really good season.

I think Dach would benefit from some time with Gallagher, play with energy, score a dirty goal and get the mojo back.

 

[Habby4Life]

Probably Evans because he has earned it, but even Dvorak who has been atrocious this year has a better overall game right now.

Yeah, why not.

Evans has earned it and the second line with Dach is going nowhere. So worst case they are on the same path. At best you can pump up Jake’s trade value. Evans is a better C, just what it is.

Dach has killed enough lines, let him ride it out on the 4th till there are some signs of life.