Player Discussion Kirby Dach: Welcome to Montreal

[Rob Sense]

We can all expect a Ryan Johansen type of C for Habs with Kirby Dach. That would be pretty good. They have similar size, both high pick, both have silence debut in this league, rookie year of Johansen at 19 years old: 21 points, 9 goals in 67 games, second season at 20 years old, 12 points in 40 games. (Dach put 10 points in 18 games at 19 years old) and 23 points, 8 goals in 64 games at 18 years old.


Johansen put mostly seasons numbers with 15-25 goals and 45 assists, he is a playmaker first and we can all hope that type of numbers for Dach.

It's a realistic projection to me... add a Johansen type of C, it's huge and Dach have potential to become that type of player.

With his toolbox he should better than Johansen. We can hope!

 

[Adam Michaels]

What is the latest news on Byron's recovery? Anybody know?

Also, we don't need two moves. We can try for two moves but cap issues is a big issue so it's not easy to move contracts this offseason. All we need is to make one trade where we save about $2M - $3M in cap. Then it's not so tight for Hughes and Gorton to manage daily during the season. Then we wait for the deadline to move others.

Byron won't be ready for camp. His recovery is a lot slower than expected. So chances are Habs place him on LTIR to start the season.

Around the draft (July 7), he did an interview where he said his injury isn't fully healed yet and that the expectation was that at the time of this interview, he'd have already started training. But he hadn't been able to yet.

 

[Tyson]

Byron won't be ready for camp. His recovery is a lot slower than expected. So chances are Habs place him on LTIR to start the season.

Around the draft (July 7), he did an interview where he said his injury isn't fully healed yet and that the expectation was that at the time of this interview, he'd have already started training. But he hadn't been able to yet.

LTIR.
He got a 14 million contract. He should be set for life.

 

[Habricot]

Drouin is never healthy, just for that technically hoffman has more value.

Actually I preffer Drouin off the books on LTIR or 1 year at 5.5 then Hoffman for the next 2 years. Not even close for me.

 

[cphabs]

I do not get this Drouin hate around this board. If I where to pick a guy out of Drouin, Hoffman or Armia it would be Hoffman 10 times before Drouin. Both Armia and Drouin can be useful on this team.

Drouin? He unfortunately embodies, even the culmination, everything that has gone horribly wrong with our franchise for the last 30 years. This is no exaggeration.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

I was behind some of my readings on The Athletic and just finished reading Arpon Basu (who for some reason gets a lot of flack on here and I am always puzzled as to why but I digress...).

He did a deep dive on Dach's season last year and here were some interesting takeaways.

Dach isn't a player who uses his size to punish the opposition so similarly to how we approached Latendresse. I hope we don't try to turn him into something he isn't. He's good at utilizing his body to protect to the puck but he's not one to instigate contact when forechecking. Obviously this is something that can be improved with time and proper coaching. A guy like Eller hit more as he got stronger and holder. Even Matthews has started hitting more.

I think he wasn't used at his best on the PP, he was used in a net front capacity which makes sense as a big guy but based on his draft profile perhaps being used as a bumper or half-wall could be better.

Dach is also not a very good forechecker, he doesn't have the aggressiveness or hustle that makes a guy like Lehkonen an excellent F1 on the forecheck. That being said, he's very good at intercepting pucks and taking away pucks via well timed sticklifts. I was also surprised to find out that he played some PK and was pretty good at it. His game without the puck got better in his own zone since he had issues with coverage and reading the play (which IMO a bit part of it is Colliton being in over his head and a lack of proper system). Considering his problems with FOs, he'd a good guy to use on the fly on the PK when the first unit gets off.

(Concerning the FO, I'd like the Habs to hire someone who could coach the kids, esp given the young make up of our team, Marc Bureau was a name that was suggested years ago by Marc-Antoine Godin, could be a decent option or from more recent players like Dominic Moore who played with MSL)

Another bad tendancy he has is that he tends to make the sweet play instead of shooting in good areas. I think this can be coached out of him and it's interesting because this is a guy who last year still averaged 1.7 shots a game. We saw how MSL did wonders for Caufield and showing him some tricks, this could good be for Dach. He's also pretty good at transition and making quick plays.

With all this said, I think to utilize Dach at his strength and get him back on track, an intesting line idea would be: Drouin (guy who can take FOs for Dach at times) - Dach - Anderson (as main forechecker for the line and him rushing Dmen could lead to either Drouin or Dach intercepting/interrupting their break out options).

Then that would still leave MTL with Pitlick - Dvorak - Gallagher as a checking line and Dadonov - Suzuki - Caufield as top line.

 

[DAChampion]

Byron will not be on LTIR the entire season, you can't really use that capspace

Are you sure that's how it works? If he's on LTIR for half the season can they use half the cap space?

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

With his toolbox he should better than Johansen. We can hope!

Johansen has great tools himself which is why it’s a pretty good comp. he certainly could end up better, but I’d be content with a Johansen outcome.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Byron won't be ready for camp. His recovery is a lot slower than expected. So chances are Habs place him on LTIR to start the season.

Around the draft (July 7), he did an interview where he said his injury isn't fully healed yet and that the expectation was that at the time of this interview, he'd have already started training. But he hadn't been able to yet.

i suspect byron is done. they might keep him on LTIR all year so he keeps his salary instead of retiring. in fact, i see them giving him a role in the organization in player development asap. He loves Montreal and lives here year round

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Johansen has great tools himself which is why it’s a pretty good comp. he certainly could end up better, but I’d be content with a Johansen outcome.

Yeah, tools never were the problem with Johansen.

 

[morhilane]

Are you sure that's how it works? If he's on LTIR for half the season can they use half the cap space?

You don't accrue cap space when LTIR is in use. LTIR allow a team to go over the cap ceiling. Once the player is cleared to play, the team needs to be under the cap ceiling with that player on the roster. LTIR is almost only used for players who are known to not return to play during the season.

If all you need is half of Byron's cap space, just waive him at the start of the season. That's basically what will be buried.

 

[Heffyhoof]

Actually I preffer Drouin off the books on LTIR or 1 year at 5.5 then Hoffman for the next 2 years. Not even close for me.

Seriously? Both players are lazy offense only, but I found Hoffman put forward more effort than Drouin last year. I even remember being grossed out because I was congratulating Hoffman for being the hardest working forward on the Drouin-Dvorak-Hoffman line. Drouin in a Habs jersey is offensive.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Johansen has great tools himself which is why it’s a pretty good comp. he certainly could end up better, but I’d be content with a Johansen outcome.

I've always thought Johansen is more skilled than what his numbers say.

i'd say I wouldn't be mad at a 60 pts C with solid 2 way play, smooth hands and is dominant down low.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I've always thought Johansen is more skilled than what his numbers say.

i'd say I wouldn't be mad at a 60 pts C with solid 2 way play, smooth hands and is dominant down low.

If Habs have Dach putting up about 60 pts and Suzuki being a PPG, Habs will be in good hands down the middle.

 

[Belial]

Are you sure that's how it works? If he's on LTIR for half the season can they use half the cap space?

Is there any indication he'll be out for half the season?

They only said that he might not be ready to start the season.

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

LTIR.
He got a 14 million contract. He should be set for life.

To be fair, half goes to taxes.

 

[Heffyhoof]

To be fair, half goes to taxes.

To be fair, most middle income households make less than 100k a year.

 

[Balthazar]

Arpon Basu who for some reason gets a lot of flack on here

He does?

 

[Belial]

He does?

Who doesn't, around here, though?

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

To be fair, most middle income households make less than 100k a year.

Sad reality of things.

 

[salbutera]

To be fair, most middle income households make less than 100k a year.

Middle income hockey players, ie AHLers avg about the same.. in many cases if they’re lucky. NHL players are part of the top 1% socioeconomic class.

The basis of a free market economy is to leverage elite skill sets (regardless of profession) for maximization of monetary earnings.

 

[RationalExpectations]

We can all expect a Ryan Johansen type of C for Habs with Kirby Dach. That would be pretty good. They have similar size, both high pick, both have silence debut in this league, rookie year of Johansen at 19 years old: 21 points, 9 goals in 67 games, second season at 20 years old, 12 points in 40 games. (Dach put 10 points in 18 games at 19 years old) and 23 points, 8 goals in 64 games at 18 years old.


Johansen put mostly seasons numbers with 15-25 goals and 45 assists, he is a playmaker first and we can all hope that type of numbers for Dach.

It's a realistic projection to me... add a Johansen type of C, it's huge and Dach have potential to become that type of player.

As long as he is healthy and they don‘t offer him 8m MTL should be fine It‘s a gamble, let s hope it pays off !

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I’m not a big Dach fan and I was a big Romy fan. I’m still having a very hard time reconciling this trade. I don’t think Dach pans out, but I’d love to be wrong.

Nah, they wanted Dach and for good reason

What’s the good reasons? I’m having a hard time with trade. I do not like it.

 

[Vachon23]

If Habs have Dach putting up about 60 pts and Suzuki being a PPG, Habs will be in good hands down the middle.

And Beck as shutdown #3 C who take the big faceoff.

Johansen has great tools himself which is why it’s a pretty good comp. he certainly could end up better, but I’d be content with a Johansen outcome.

Yes, I would be really happy if Dach become a Johansen

 

[Justsayin]

I’m not a big Dach fan and I was a big Romy fan. I’m still having a very hard time reconciling this trade. I don’t think Dach pans out, but I’d love to be wrong.


What’s the good reasons? I’m having a hard time with trade. I do not like it.

The good reasons are that the team has looked at both players and formed the opinion that Dach has a higher upside than Romy does.