Player Discussion Kirby Dach: Welcome to Montreal

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I tried to tell you guys a few weeks/months ago but it’s never too late, welcome to the Kirby Dach fan club

There were a few of us stoked from the outset about the combination of size, speed and skill. Go back and check. Wtk also comes to mind. I was never bothered spending the first rounder on him because there were no equivalent such combo on the board at center at the time.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

If he ever actually manages to release that puck before everybody in the building is aware of it...

Once the wrist is 100%, and he is competent on faceoffs, he can work with Adam shooting weighted pucks. The emphasis on development now is a revelation.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

And a lot cheaper.

And less maintenance.

 

[Deebs]

Once the wrist is 100%, and he is competent on faceoffs, he can work with Adam shooting weighted pucks. The emphasis on development now is a revelation.

His wrist isn't 100% yet?

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

His wrist isn't

I don't know. I mean by that suggestion that as months go by, his performance obliterates any misgivings about it.

 

[SOLR]

can Monahan play the wing?

Yes...all centers can play wing. And I fully expect Monahan to be Dach's shadow for a good part of the year.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

I don't know. I mean by that suggestion that as months go by, his performance obliterates any misgivings about it.

He's definitely had some good moments, but I want to see something a little more sustained from him before I christen him cured.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

I know it's a small sample size but watching him play this preseason I have been impressed with his vision, ability to keep the puck until he finds a play, his skating.
He resembles a young player with a huge upside, perhaps higher than Suzuki.
Remember Suzuki is a 2017 pick whereas Dach was drafted 2 years later.

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

 

[HabsMD97]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

Pretty much exactly this. Personally i'm not as enamoured by him as many on this board. He doesn't utilize his skating and hands to create plays and scoring changes down the middle which is exactly why his flashes don't turn into points. He plays too much on the periphery for his talent level and size. Hopefully with experience and development that'll change

 

[Kennerback]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

I’ve seen the exact same thing. He looks impressive because he’s a very big guy that skates very well with excellent stick handling and passing skills. But he never shoots or puts the puck on net. So he‘s basically counting on his linemates to put up points.

 

[Sagikev]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

Triple hat trick in practice yesterday

 

[Andy]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

See, I remember folks saying similar things about Ryan Johansen in his first two seasons.

Dach is only turning 22 in January and missed a whole season. It's very common for offensive prospects to flash tools at an early age without putting up points. Let's hope he takes the next step this year. He's looked fantastic in camp. Very commanding.

 

[morhilane]

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

Habs putting points in preseason?

They played 3 games so far and scored 4 goals total. Caufield has his hands on 3 of those 4 goals (2 goals, 1 assit). Dach is responsible for the other goal (won his faceoff and made a beautiful pass to Ghule).

He's already better than most of the team offensively...

 

[River Meadow]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

Pierre McGuire had an interview recently where he said Dach was rushed to the NHL and shouldn't have been.

He's still only 21.

Hard to give up on a big young C at this age, then again, we did it with KK, albeit under different circumstances, Canes handcuffed us.

 

[Rob Sense]

Once the wrist is 100%, and he is competent on faceoffs, he can work with Adam shooting weighted pucks. The emphasis on development now is a revelation.

OMG...the wrist again? it has almost been two years....he was 60% at the face-off circle! The wrist issue will follow him to his grave on this site!

 

[SlafySZN]

OMG...the wrist again? it has almost been two years....he was 60% at the face-off circle! The wrist issue will follow him to his grave on this site!

Are you sure his wrist is healed?

 

[Frank Drebin]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

I don't mind this from a young player. Flashes of potential but can't put it together...yet. At least we know there is something there to work with. Maybe he can put it together and start translating that talent into points, maybe he cant. I'd much rather have that then watch some goofy finnish kid fall all over the ice and wonder how the hell he got drafted #3OA.

 

[Belial]

Are you sure his wrist is healed?

I was not even talking about Dach in my post, and it somehow turned into a wrist thing...

 

[GobigorGohome]

I see a Pierre Engval similarly in Dach

 

[Wateredgarden]

Dach is pretty big, when Ghule scored his goal, I was like "Who's this small player in the arms of Dach?".

Ghule looked tiny next to Dach.

 

[Andrei79]

Hawks fan coming in peace.

What got Dach traded out of Chicago is that he looks the part but it never translated into production. He'd walk defenders with nifty moves but wouldn't score.

I was a huge fan of Kirby and was excited when they drafted him. A bit confused that he looked so good at times but would rarely show up on the scoresheet.

So I'd like to ask you, is he putting up points in the preseason? If not, that's always been his biggest issue.

So, just to eliminate any potential biases, here's his thread from last year on the Hawks board:

Is Kirby Dach ready to be the #1 centre next season?

Still a silly thread

forums.hfboards.com

Its really interesting because there are actually specific posts saying literally the opposite of what you're saying: posters sounding the alarm last year not because of the lack of production, but because of how he was playing. His play is actually repeatedly mentioned. Two were even saying he wasn't showing skill anymore.

 

[Kennerback]

I see a Pierre Engval similarly in Dach

My goodness. I really hope not.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

He's definitely had some good moments, but I want to see something a little more sustained from him before I christen him cured.

Agreed. Before I was a prof, I worked as a software engineer under various guises. We used to operate under the assumption that there are still bugs in a program until it runs bug-free for several months. That is how a serious injury like this should be viewed in my opinion.

Whether that opinion gets derided or not is immaterial to me. I don't get baited into silly arguments, in a Twainian sense.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Kirby Dach is going to be the C we wanted with Jesperi Kotkaniemi... he is much more impressive than KK. When Josh Anderson is going to play... Dach is going to use his size, going to be a beast.

With that new development staff... Slafkovsky and Dach are in pretty good hands... they are going to complete so well Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

 

[Runner77]

Some players with size innately use it in a physical manner and others don’t. If it’s not in Dach to not back off from physical confrontation, it won’t matter who he plays with.

It’s all about who he is as a player and the style of play he favors.