At the 2023 NHL draft, the Montreal Canadiens made a big splash by using one of their first round picks, (which they had just acquired from the Islanders by giving them the 98th overall pick and Alexander Romanov) and a second round pick to acquire Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks.
In the 2017 off-season, the Montreal Canadiens also made a big splash by acquiring struggling forward Jonathan Drouin and a 6th round pick for former first round pick Mikhail Sergachev and a 2nd round pick.
Drouin was drafted third overall in 2013, and Kirby Dach was drafted 3rd overall in 2019. It was four years after Drouin was drafted when he was traded to Montreal. It was three years after Dach was drafted when he was traded to the Habs.
Drouin had struggled to stay in the league, playing games in the NHL and AHL in his first two seasons, but had a good season in his third year with the Lightning, scoring 21 goals and 53 points in 73 games.
Kirby Dach made the jump from the AHL to the NHL in 2019-20, and never dropped back down to the farm league, but never put up numbers like Drouin's final Lightning season, topping out at 9 goals and 26 points.
However, the way the players left their teams were pretty different.
To say that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jonathan Drouin had a rocky falling out would be a bit of an understatement. During his final season in Florida in 2016, Drouin felt unhappy and requested a trade, which did not happen during the season. He was then sent down to the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning's AHL affiliate, and Drouin did not report.
But the writing was on the wall, and in the offseason, Drouin was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and signed a massive 6 year $33 million contract. It was by far the biggest contract that any forward had for the Habs, and it didn't really go well.
To be fair, Drouin's first two years in Montreal weren't terrible. His first season he played 77 games and scored 13 goals and 46 points. He improved in his second season playing all but one game and scoring 18 goals and 53 points.
And then the injury issues began.
In 2019, it was a tore tendon in his wrist, which limited him to just 27 games. For the 2020 season, it was his ankle that limited him to 44 games. The next year Drouin took time off for personal reasons. The next year Drouin had another wrist injury.
After 2018-19 season, Drouin never came close to playing a full season in Montreal. The closest he came was in 2022-23, which would turn out to be his final season in Montreal, where he played 58 games.
Luckily for Drouin, his move to Colorado and subsequent reunion with minor hockey teammate Nathan MacKinnon has rekindled his career, and he has played well as a member of the Avalanche.
Its still early in his career, but Kirby Dach could be trending in a similar situation as Drouin.
Dach's first season showed a lot of promise. He put up career highs in goals (14), assists (24) and points (38) in 58 games. He was showing a lot of promise as a modern day power forward. A big 6'4, 220 pound frame, that could also skate and score.
In his second season, Dach recorded two assists in his debut, but the very next game he was injured by former Canadiens draft pick Jarred Tinordi, being his awkwardly into the bench and tearing both his ACL and MCL.
This is an extremely major injury, which cost Dach the entirety of the 2023-24 season, and even into the 2024-25 season, you could see the slow down in Dach's game. He struggled mightly to produce and be effective, especially early in the season.
But as he was starting to get his footing, Dach was reinjured against the Ottawa Senators, and required a second knee surgery in as many seasons. He would finish the 2024-25 season with 10 goals and 22 points in 57 games.
Now Dach is still very young at just 24 years old. He still has a lot of developing and should have a lot of playing ahead in his career. But knee injuries are hard to come back from, and two in two seasons is a lot to come back from.
Dach still has one more year left in the deal he signed with the Canadiens, making him a restricted free agent next off-season. The upcoming 2025-26 season will be the biggest season in Dach's career. If he manages to stay healthy, and shows the flashes that made him special in the first place, it would be great to see the team take a bet on upside.
But, if Dach has another majorly shortened season, especially if it involves his knee again, it would be hard to justify keeping him around. Its a shame, because it's not in anyone's control or anyone's fault. Same with Drouin, same with Dach. He has one year to prove himself. He has the talent. I hope he does.