Montreal Canadiens: Kirby Dach Injury A Crushing Blow For Hopeful Habs

The Montreal Canadiens were not expected to make a long run in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, nor did many expect them to even make it to the postseason.

But, they were not expected to just roll over and have a terrible season either. Management was hopeful that the team would show some growth and a lineup loaded with young talent would start to show some signs of being a strong team that can be built into a winner long term.

Fans were hopeful that the team would be healthier, and simply be a lot better because there was no way they would lose approximately 600 games to injury yet again. Right? Right!? A lineup with a lot of the same names, but them actually being available would lead to huge improvements to the roster. Or so we thought.

In just the second game of the season, Kirby Dach left early and it appears he will be out long term. In fact, his 2023-24 season may be over after just two games.

It was Dach, centering a line with Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook, who gave Habs fans a lot to like in game one of the season. The 22 year old center was his usual, dominant, puck carrying force. He set up two of the Habs goals using his speed, vision and ability to drive the play from one end of the ice to the other.

It gave Habs fans hope we were seeing a terrific second line come together. One that could stay together for the better part of a decade. With 19 year old Slafkovsky on one side and 22 year old Newhook on the other, it seemed Dach had found long-term linemates that could keep up with his pace, help him battle on the ice, and also put pucks in the net.

With the Canadiens unlikely to contend for the playoffs, watching this young line develop, as well as Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, should have been a fun season, no matter the outcome of the games. Hope for the future is needed and we had it for an all too fleeting moment.

It was announced yesterday that Dach’s injury from Saturday night is long term and going to result in him missing significant time. Eric Engels of Sportsnet reported it could be an ACL and MCL tear which could have him miss the final 80 games of the season.

That’s devastating for a young team just hoping to find some pillars to build around. Even if wins were scarce, fans would have been happy to watch a young top six forward group work together and find chemistry while a handful of young defensemen continue to develop.

The Dach injury is a gut punch though, as he is a huge piece of what the Canaidens are trying to build. Suzuki gives them a great center to start with, but a big two-way pivot like Dach who constantly transports the puck from the defensive zone to the attacking zone and creates offense gave the Habs a terrific one-two punch down the middle to build around.

With Dach out long term, it sucks the air out of an already fairly deflated balloon. Even in an expected down season, this is a gut punch for fans of the Canadiens and the management team as well.

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