Kirby Dach 2.0: Names the Canadiens Could Look at this Off-Season

Alex Turcotte was drafted fifth overall by the LA Kings in 2019, the same year Caufield and Dach were drafted. Since then, the centreman has struggled to break into the NHL. He’s played in just 12 NHL games thus far, failing to register a point, but he’s spent most of his time in the AHL. At 22 years old, you’d like to see him make it to the NHL full-time pretty soon, but it might not happen in LA.

Cole Caufield is very familiar with Alex Turcotte, as they were teammates in the United States Development Program and at Wisconsin. Perhaps a reunion and a more straightforward path to the NHL could do wonders for Turcotte. Currently, the Kings have a very deep forward core in Los Angeles and a deep prospect pool (ranked #7 by the Athletic earlier this year). Turcotte might have the chance to play in the NHL immediately in Montreal.

Turcotte isn’t the most exciting player, but he was drafted fifth overall for a reason, he’s a very skilled player. At this rate, it feels unlikely he’ll ever be the star he was once expected to be, but he could be a nice middle-six forward that provides depth scoring for Montreal. And you never know; he could always find the form that got him drafted so high.

With LA looking to compete right now, they might be willing to move on from Turcotte, and the Canadiens might not even need to give up as much as they did for Dach. The question is, of course, centered around whether or not Turcotte is worth trading for. I still think the upside is there, as does Scott Wheeler of the Athletic:

When he plays with pace, confidence, and an attack mentality, he’s a highly-involved player who can make a lot of plays (especially as a passer through layers/under sticks/around feet). He has quick hands in traffic, he understands how to use space as a playmaker, and he plays a driven, engaged style that pulls his linemates into the fight.

Turcotte wouldn’t be my first choice to go after this off-season, but if the Canadiens are looking for a young player to try and “fix” like they did with Kirby Dach, the American forward is certainly a viable candidate. Perhaps the Canadiens could act as a cap broker for the Kings, taking on a bad contract with Turcotte being the sweetener. It’s certainly an option.

Why not another former Wisconsin Badger? Dylan Holloway is an interesting player, as he doesn’t have the star upside of some other young players around the league, but he would still fill an essential role on any team. He’s a powerful skater who’s extremely athletic and has the potential to be a solid middle-six contributor on any team. He’s a good forechecker and energy guy, but he’s not a grinder, he can be a good offensive player. He’s got decent size, and I think he’s proven he’s ready for the NHL.

He played in 51 games last year but put up just 9 points, which is not particularly attractive at first glance. But he only played 9:35 per game last season, which is not ideal playing time for a rookie. You’d have to think he’d play more in Montreal. At just 21 (22 by the start of next season), there’s still plenty of room for him to grow as a player.

Much like LA, I think the Oilers are in win-now mode, so I do wonder what the compensation to acquire Holloway would be. When the Habs traded for Dach, Chicago was rebuilding themselves, so a first-round pick worked for them. I wonder what the Oilers would want? Josh Anderson? A Defenseman? A Goalie? Maybe they want some cap relief, too. We’ll have to see.

Holloway could still be a really good middle-six contributor who does a lot of the little things right. The kind of things that don’t show up on the scoresheet. He needs more opportunity to show that, though, and I’m not sure Edmonton will give that to him. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Habs to check in on him and see what the asking price is.

Perhaps the most obvious name on this list is Alexis Lafrenière, the first overall pick from the 2020 NHL draft. He has struggled to adapt to the NHL, and I think patience is running thin for him in New York. The Rangers want to win, and they want to do it now, and they might not be able to continue to wait for him to come along. They might decide to get something for him while they still can.

Montreal seems like the obvious destination spot, mainly for the French connection. It seems like anytime a French player is rumoured to be leaving their current team, Montreal is immediately linked as a possible landing spot. In Lafrenière’s case, though, I could see it. Lafrenière is coming off a season in which he set a new career high in points with 39 in 81 games. Unfortunately, he followed that up with zero points in seven playoff games.

But Lafrenière is still young, just 21, and the potential is still there. The NHL is a tough league to play in, and it’s even harder to try and develop in, and that’s all Lafrenière has ever known. Now add in trying to do so on a competitive team, one where every mistake is amplified, and it’s even more demanding. The Canadiens could offer Lafrenière a fresh start and the freedom to learn without fear of making mistakes.

If I’m Kent Hughes and the Canadiens, I’m still looking at what Lafrenière can become, which is a super-skilled left winger. The Canadiens could definitely use more of that in their system (although the 5th pick could help change that), as behind Slafkovsky, it’s a bit of a question mark. The potential for Lafrenière still exists. It hasn’t just up and disappeared. He just needs time to find his game and get comfortable.

This past season in New York, Lafrenière played just over 15 minutes a game, which is a decent chunk of ice time. But I’d want to see him get more ice time and opportunity if I was a Rangers fan. And if the Habs traded for him, I’d expect him to be on the first powerplay unit, in the top six playing 18+ minutes a night. Lafrenière needs more opportunity, and I’m not certain it’ll come in New York.

Now the Rangers, like the Oilers and Kings, are contending, so I wonder if they would want picks and prospects. They might want to add proven commodities instead to help with their Stanley Cup push. Do the Canadiens have enough to make that work? And what would the Canadiens be interested in giving up if they were interested in Lafrenière? For now, we don’t know the answer to any of these questions, but I think it’s something worth keeping an eye on. Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton want to be aggressive, and this certainly fits under that bill.

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