Kirby Dach faces uphill battle to secure spot with Canadiens

In Brossard, Kirby Dach is navigating one of the most demanding training camps of his time with the Montreal Canadiens. With the regular-season opener in Toronto fast approaching, the forward is fighting to secure a spot in the lineup while dealing with increasingly harsh judgement from fans and commentators.

His latest pre-season outing against the Ottawa Senators has become a flashpoint. Although his performance was far from disastrous, online reaction skewed sharply negative, focusing on what Dach did not do rather than the subtler elements of his game. At the same time, other struggling players, such as Zachary Bolduc, attracted far less public attention.

Details noticed by coaches, not always by fans

From the coaching staff’s perspective, Dach’s game showed structure and responsibility. His attention to details without the puck and in defensive situations helped create time and space for linemate Alexandre Texier, who often ended up controlling the puck on their shifts. Dach was also viewed as cleaner with the puck than some of his linemates, even if that did not translate into eye-catching offensive numbers.

Head coach Martin St. Louis has said the club’s main expectation is for Dach to keep refining his game and be ready for the season. St. Louis also pointed out that Dach contributed in the first two rounds of last spring’s playoff run after a sluggish start. Still, his overall body of work in Montreal, interrupted repeatedly by injuries and weighed against the potential of a former third-overall pick, has shaped a perception that is proving difficult to reverse.

Over seven NHL seasons, Dach has averaged 14 goals and 36 points per 82 games. For a six-foot-four, 215-pound forward with a broad skill set, that level of production has fuelled doubts among parts of the fan base.

Injuries, new contract and internal competition

Since joining the Canadiens, Dach has endured a series of significant lower-body injuries, including two tears of the same ACL, damage to the MCL in the same knee, a fractured foot and other upper-body issues. “Had he not missed that time, he’d be further ahead,” St. Louis said, noting how those setbacks have slowed Dach’s progress.

In July, Montreal committed to him with a $3.6-million contract, a deal that underscores both the organization’s belief in his upside and the heightened expectations that now surround him. In a shortened camp where every shift is magnified, his margin for error feels particularly thin.

Dach has said he feels good about his play, emphasizing that he is focused on doing the small things correctly and following the coaching staff’s instructions while trying to take a step forward each day. But he is aware that he must push harder between now and the end of camp if he wants to be on the ice in Toronto on opening night.

He is not alone in that race. Bolduc and even Texier are also under evaluation, while Florian Xhekaj is making a serious push for a roster spot. For Dach, the coming days may determine not only his role with the Canadiens to start the season, but also whether he can begin to shift the narrative among a fan base that has grown increasingly skeptical.