Player Discussion Kirby Dach: Welcome to Montreal

[Lshap]

Also we have a former 6ft4 center on our hockey ops team who can help Dach as well.

Interesting how Vinnie and Marty are the perfect mentors for our two most exciting kids.

 

[Lshap]

You seem to be correct. My misinterpretation, although i knew he liked the trade, I thought he overshot the downside.



Not to mention Dach's injury, if the pictures are real, was atrocious. KK didn't suffer anything like that.

Yeah, that injury was huge. Have to believe Dach has been carefully vetted and his hand is 100%.

 

[Paul Dipietro]

Don't know if this has been brought in the discussion or not, but....

In the 2019 draft who was selected before Dach and by which team?

Kaapo Kakko - NYR

Kinda gives the feeling that someone wanted a do over.

I've heard that angle as well but it's based on what, his performance in the NHL?

They clearly know something we don't about him, because this is going to be another "AKost vs. everyone else selected after him situation" if he busts

 

[Wats]

Seems like lot of people see him as more of a RW than C.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Vinny and MSL represent the two extremes.

Big, tall former 1st overall pick, and small, undrafted player. Both became superstars and won the Stanley Cup together, and both are French-Canadian.

Absolutely perfect addition to Hughes and Gorton's managing craftsmanship.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

Let’s go Kirby! MSL will give him all the ice time and opportunities he could hope for, what he does with it is up to him. He’s a 3rd overall pick who still has a very high potential.

With all the young defensemen we have coming up we don’t need Romanov and they probably think he’s not worth the cap hit he’s gonna demand. Romanov’s offence just isn’t there and might never improve much.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is that even a downside? Eller was about as valuable as a Romanov when he was in Washington, and he could explode into a great playoff run.

It's still a great outcome. When you pick mid-first, you're lucky to get a 3C.

Seems like lot of people see him as more of a RW than C.

Those people are stupid. You don't put a big kid with playmaking like that on the wing.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Literally the best young center we've had since Koivu in terms of potential.

That was Plekanec. Dach a des croutes a manger if he wants to have an impact as high as prime Plekanec.

 

[BenchBrawl]

That was Plekanec. Dach a des croutes a manger if he wants to have an impact as high as prime Plekanec.

I said "in terms of potential".

Dach has more potential than Plekanec ever did. Plekanec pretty much fulfilled his maximal potential.

Now not saying Dach will fulfill it and become even as good as Plekanec. He probably won't, but if he does, he'll be much better than Plekanec ever was.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I said "in terms of potential".

Dach has more potential than Plekanec ever did. Plekanec pretty much fulfilled his maximal potential.

Now not saying Dach will fulfill it and become even as good as Plekanec. He probably won't, but if he does, he'll be much better than Plekanec ever was.

Whatever, I ain't eating that excuse salad

 

[26Mats]

When was the last time a gamble like this worked? Ppl said if KK got out of Mtl, he'd explode. Didn't happen. Same with Galchenyuk. I don't remember a 20 pts player for 3 straight seasons exploding and becoming a perennial all star just because he got traded to a new team.

It doesn't have to be because of a trade. Can just be when they start producing. Couturier and Hertl didn't start producing until the age of 25.

Big centers can take longer to develop.

 

[Lshap]

Yup. The only hope I have is that last year was his "sophomore slump" year because of the lost 2020 season. But if he doesn't show improvement this season, it's just not there.

That's fair. The question is what's considered improvement. I'd be happy with 3C production, about 35-40 pts.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Whatever, I ain't eating that excuse salad

What the f*** are you talking about? The original post you quoted was crystal clear that I referred to potential.

Why would I think Dach, a 25 pts scorer, is better than Plekanec actually was? Wtf?

 

[Belial]

Dach has played two full seasons in three years, 152 NHL games total. He played only 18 games in 2020/21, the season when he was injured. He's 21.5 years old.

By comparison, Kotkaniemi just turned 22 and has played 237 games over four seasons – 3 full seasons and approx. half of another.

We got our KK back?

 

[Tetragrammaton]

That was Plekanec. Dach a des croutes a manger if he wants to have an impact as high as prime Plekanec.

Ya des croutes a manger if he wants to have an impact as high as prime Eller too. Moins de croutes parcontre.

 

[Gustave]

If we can draft one of Fantilli, Bedard or Carlsson next year….we would be set for the next 15yrs

That's what I'm banking on.
Only, our D core is awful. We'll have problems because our F core will mature way earlier than our D core. I don't like it as of now.

 

[Milhouse40]

Many here are so overreactive and can't see through the weeds. A big 21 year old 6ft4 center with upside who has had bad luck with injuries. This is a money ball type of pick up (probably a Team 33 recommendation) and this new regime is putting large emphasis on player development which this organization has been sorely lacking.

We should keep acquiring these types of players and go to work on their development. It's not like we're trying to win the Cup this year. LOL!

Problem is that we gave a big 6'1'' already top 4 D who didn't bad luck with injuries who was developing quite well.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Problem is that we gave a big 6'1'' already top 4 D who didn't bad luck with injuries who was developing quite well.

He had no upside. It was all there.

 

[yoteshot]

Anybody else worried about Dach's weight? Was 6'4" 198 lbs at his draft and is now... 6'4" 197 lbs 3 years later. I feel like that's really light for a player of his size especially if he wants to effectively use his size to protect the puck...

 

[JustAHabFan]

That's fair. The question is what's considered improvement. I'd be happy with 3C production, about 35-40 pts.

That's not worth 20 minutes from a 4D like Romanov.

 

[River Meadow]

Yeah, that injury was huge. Have to believe Dach has been carefully vetted and his hand is 100%.

What if they didn't vet that at all....?

 

[Belial]

That's what I'm banking on.
Only, our D core is awful. We'll have problems because our F core will mature way earlier than our D core. I don't like it as of now.

Logan is coming to fix the offensive side

 

[Milhouse40]

He had no upside. It was all there.

????
D which we all know takes a lot more time to develop....so Romanov at 22, after 133 games and 2 seasons in which he double production and ice-time won't improve and has no upside while Dach at 21, after 3 seasons without any improvement and 152 games has tons of potential and upside?

 

[Tabarouette]

i'm catching up this morning and I won't lie I laughed out loud seeing we picked up a potentially cursed young 3rd overall

 

[Milhouse40]

Anybody else worried about Dach's weight? Was 6'4" 198 lbs at his draft and is now... 6'4" 197 lbs 3 years later. I feel like that's really light for a player of his size especially if he wants to effectively use his size to protect the puck...

That's the biggest misconception here.

We got a TALL center, not a BIG center by any means......there's no physicality to his game.
49 hits last year....for reference, Suzuki isn't a physical center by any means.....89 hits