Player Discussion Kirby Dach: Welcome to Montreal

[River Meadow]

Around the 2 minute mark.

R.I.P

 

[Redux91]

and where is Tom Gilbert ??

I... I dont think I hated hab more....than this guy who I forgot EXISTED
So thanks for reminding me

 

[cphabs]

Oddly enough defense isn't solely predicated on winning face-offs.

HuGo told him “we” are playing offense over the phone…

 

[Canadienna]

HuGo got through his medical history, spoke with the doctor who did his surgery and physios in Chicago.

They wouldn’t have traded for him if it wasn’t alright.

There's only so much a surgeon could actually say.

I too hope they did their homework, but if it's sore now, at his young age, before the grind of an 82 game season, I'm worried for how it holds up long term.

I'm not suggesting he's going to retire, just that it may hold him back from realizing his potential. That was no ordinary wrist injury.

I may worry too much, but it doesn't make me wrong.

 

[Scriptor]

Dach has a bit of a mean streak. He showed it with Saskatoon. But unlike Slafkovsky who is a force of nature, Dach was tall, lean and slight at 18. So it’s tough to get too physical with the 27 year olds in the NHL. But he’s filling out and I don’t doubt he’ll get tougher. Dach already has a lot more sandpaper than KK and Galchenyuk.

Plus, he shrunk two inches at the training camp this year, measuring in at 6'2" instead of 6'4". That 197 lbs looks better on a 6'2" body than a 6'4" body.

 

[NewEraGM]

Have you seen him play?

He is in fact good defensively, way better than most 21 years old in the NHL. That’s what ‘’very mature defensively’’ meant…

Ok so he’s very mature defensively but he’s atrocious at face offs….thats an interesting description

 

[Scriptor]

Have you seen him play?

He is in fact good defensively, way better than most 21 years old in the NHL. That’s what ‘’very mature defensively’’ meant…

Dach is strong defensively with his stick work and plucking pucks away from opponents. He's just not very strong for one on one battles along the boards. The fact he is not very physical does not bn=mean he can't play strong defence, though.

If he's up to 212 lbs, from what I just read a few posts ago, that's good news. If he really worked on his shot all summer and really wants to use it more often to become a double threat,. like he said, more good news.

Ok so he’s very mature defensively but he’s atrocious at face offs….thats an interesting description

I hear he's really mature at losing F/Os...

 

[SlafySZN]

Dach is strong defensively with his stick work and plucking pucks away from opponents. He's just not very strong for one on one battles along the boards. The fact he is not very physical does not bn=mean he can't play strong defence, though.

If he's up to 212 lbs, from what I just read a few posts ago, that's good news. If he really worked on his shot all summer and really wants to use it more often to become a double threat,. like he said, more good news.


I hear he's really mature at losing F/Os...

Yeah, his positioning on the boards since he’s so tall is something to work on. He gets like over his opponent and they can take the puck off him. He will improve with better lower-body strength.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Ok so he’s very mature defensively but he’s atrocious at face offs….thats an interesting description

Do people not remember how awful Danault was at faceoffs before he came to Montreal?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Hmm to believe Toews or a HF Habs poster...

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Hmm to believe Toews or a HF Habs poster...

Hf Poster every time.

 

[Redux91]

Hmm to believe Toews or a HF Habs poster...

I'm actually offended to be lumped in with the actual person you are talking about lol.

 

[SlafySZN]

Hmm to believe Toews or a HF Habs poster...

but but but... he played with Patrick Kane

 

[NewEraGM]

Do people not remember how awful Danault was at faceoffs before he came to Montreal?

Ok but that is exactly the point I’m making !! When Danault first got here, he was not ‘mature defensively’. He turned into one over time

Maybe Dach gets there, but he’s not there now just like Danault wasn’t there when he was first traded. I’m not saying Dach will never be, but to say he is mature defensively when he was the worst centre in face offs last year is outrageous. The best defensive forwards/selke winners are all good if not great at faceoffs

 

[SlafySZN]

Ok but that is exactly the point I’m making !! When Danault first got here, he was not ‘mature defensively’. He turned into one over time

Maybe Dach gets there, but he’s not there now just like Danault wasn’t there when he was first traded. I’m not saying Dach will never be, but to say he is mature defensively when he was the worst centre in face offs last year is outrageous. The best defensive forwards/selke winners are all good if not great at faceoffs

Absolutely no one talked about Dach winning the Selke lol all this person said was that he was very good defensively compared to other young players.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

Around the 2 minute mark.

Doesn’t sound too good he just said his wrist was sore. Hoping for the best.

 

[NewEraGM]

Absolutely no one talked about Dach winning the Selke lol all this person said was that he was very good defensively compared to other young players.

Ok then take out the word selke and just replace it defensively mature. Lol how can a centre be defensively “mature” if he is LITERALLY last in faceoffs

Look, i want Dach to do well as much as you. But you guys are letting your hopefulness cloud your judgment

Please name me one other centre who is awful at faceoffs that is also “defensively mature”

 

[Hacketts]

Has this board been taken over by russian trolls?

Because these threads have hit some new levels this summer.

 

[jrom]

Ok then take out the word selke and just replace it defensively mature. Lol how can a centre be defensively “mature” if he is LITERALLY last in faceoffs

Look, i want Dach to do well as much as you. But you guys are letting your hopefulness cloud your judgment

Please name me one other centre who is awful at faceoffs that is also “defensively mature”

I think he just meant "his defensive play is good if you exclude the faceoff portion". Anyway we'll soon see what he actually does on ice.

 

[SlafySZN]

Ok then take out the word selke and just replace it defensively mature. Lol how can a centre be defensively “mature” if he is LITERALLY last in faceoffs

Look, i want Dach to do well as much as you. But you guys are letting your hopefulness cloud your judgment

Please name me one other centre who is awful at faceoffs that is also “defensively mature”

No i've just actually seen him play before... that's not hopefulness.

 

[NewEraGM]

No i've just actually seen him play before... that's not hopefulness.

Well yea it is…you’re hoping he gets better at faceoffs. You can’t say he’s a great defender as a CENTER except for faceoffs. That’s a huge part of being a good defensive centre….

Like it makes no sense what you’re saying….it’s like me saying Armia is a 40G scorer if he just wasn’t so streaky

And lastly, everyone here has seen him play. You’re not the only one

 

[FF de Mars]

You can teach faceoffs, but you can't teach talent. Dach is a good passer, you can't teach that; whereas, faceoffs seems like studying for an exam. Therefore, I'm not too worried. I just hope Dach keeps passing and sticks to his strengh aka playmaking because he said he wanted to shoot more and has been practicing his shot a lot over the summer. Playing to his strenght!

 

[jaffy27]

Happy for you.

He should get rid of that football number, ridiculous.

Jesus....stop drinking water from the toilet bowl

No it was a mistake lol

Kid is 6’4 since he’s like 16 years old.

Some journalist said he measured at 6’4 212 pounds this morning.

only 8lbs to go.......220lbs would be great for his frame....a little more on the legs and shoulders

 

[Hacketts]

Here's the list of active top face off guys, not sure if there's a direct correlation with those being the top defensive players.

Just using +/- for the top 10 from last season. (Not saying this means all that much because context does matter but for the sake of it being a Thursday night in September.)

1-2 are +
3-8 are -
9-10 are +

Also Elias Lindholm was a +61 last season

Active NHL Players - Playoff Faceoff Win Percentage Leaders

Active NHL players who hold the all-time record for the best faceoff win percentage in NHL playoffs. All-time playoff faceoff win percentage leaders for active NHL players.

www.quanthockey.com

 

[Redux91]

You can teach faceoffs, but you can't teach talent. Dach is a good passer, you can't teach that; whereas, faceoffs seems like studying for an exam. Therefore, I'm not too worried. I just hope Dach keeps passing and sticks to his strengh aka playmaking because he said he wanted to shoot more and has been practicing his shot a lot over the summer. Playing to his strenght!

And we have 2 amazing face off guys that can hopefully teach him a couple of tricks , they may both be lefty but maybe just use same technique in reverse lol