Kirby Dach finished second on the team in points last year with 38, but he only played in 58 games. Still, the benchmark was a new career high for Dach in his first season with the Canadiens. Dach was, of course, acquired by the Canadiens at the 2022 NHL Draft and has been an essential part of the Canadiens core since. Everyone wants to see what a full season with Dach looks like.
Recently, I wrote about how Dach needs to take the next step in his path towards stardom. Last season was a great start, but we know he can be even better, and now we need to see it. He was a third-overall pick for a reason. He has a great blend of size and skill that he began to use effectively last season. Can he take that next step?
Dach has the potential, at least in my eyes, to be the Canadiens best player if he can put it all together. His toolkit is super impressive, and he’s currently working on improving his shot. He’s becoming more confident as an NHL player, and you could see it at times last season. He can take over a game with his size and skill, and if he can learn to channel that, he becomes that much harder to stop.
It’s not unreasonable to think that, if he can continue to get better, his value to the Canadiens will be unparalleled. To me, he’s the less obvious choice as we head into the season, but he has the capability to do so. Even last year, when he went down with injury, the Habs felt the impact of his departure. It’ll be nice to have him back out there to start the season.