When it was announced that Montreal Canadiens’ centre Kirby Dach had filed for salary arbitration, it left many Habs fans puzzled. The Canadiens sent over their qualifying offer to Dach, which would pay him $4 million next season if he accepted. Instead of accepting the qualifying offer, Dach chose to file for salary arbitration, which was confusing because he would surely receive less money than the qualifying offer due to the amount of time he had missed since becoming a Canadiens player. However, Sportsnet's senior columnist, Eric Engels, confirmed the reasoning for Dach filing for salary arbitration. While the deal would have paid him him $4 million at the NHL level, the contract would have been a two-way deal.
Why Kirby Dach did not accept the Canadiens' qualifying offer
NHL insider Marco D'Amico was one of the first to speculate that the reason why Dach filed for salary arbitration was that he was offered a two-way deal, which was later confirmed by Engels. Unlike what EA Sports would teach you, being on a two-way deal does not exempt you from being placed on waivers. If Dach were to be on a two-way deal next season, it would mean he would make $4 million in the NHL and a different salary (much lower) if he were sent down to the AHL. The Canadiens were able to give Dach a two-way qualifying offer because of his injury history. He played in fewer than 60 games last season and fewer than 180 over the last three combined.
Dach has only played over 50 games for the Canadiens twice in his four seasons. In a possible 328 games since joining the Canadiens, Dach has suited up for just 154 of them. His injury history has become a big problem, and with the Canadiens offering him a two-way qualifying offer, it would give them some protection if Dach were to get injured, which has been his track record so far. By going to arbitration, Dach will not be fighting for more money, which is usually the case. Instead, he will be fighting to be signed to a one-way deal. There were already questions about whether Dach would be back with the Canadiens next season, but as this plays out, is it more likely that he will be on the move this offseason?
Two-way offer will likely shatter Dach and Canadiens relationship
Dach's health questions go back to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 2019 3rd overall pick is heading into his eighth NHL season, and has yet to stay healthy over an entire year. The Canadiens clearly identify that as a risk now, especially considering he has suffered a significant injury in every season he has played with Montreal. Filing for arbitration means he will be signing a contract with the Canadiens for next season, but after Montreal offered him a two-way deal, the damage may already be done. There were already rumours that the Canadiens could be looking to move Dach, and after going through this process, it may be even more likely now.
Dach’s value may not be lower than it is right now, but if the Canadiens can use him as a trade chip to help acquire a second-line centre, he may still have some value. Dach’s regular season definitely was a disappointment. He only played in 37 games because of a fractured foot, and while he played well in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was largely deployed on the team’s fourth line for the rest of the Canadiens’ playoff run. We will have to wait and see if going to arbitration will damage the team/player relationship, but it looks like Dach’s time in Montreal could be in limbo.
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