Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens were hoping Kirby Dach would finally be able to participate in campaign that did not feature an extended stretch in the infirmary.
After all, despite putting together some relatively encouraging numbers early in his tenure with the Habs, Dach has dealt with numerous injuries, and to make matters more complicated, they were often season-ending issues.
This time around, Dach managed to finish the season healthy, but it’s impossible to ignore the fact that he only played 37 games due to multiple injuries, including a fractured foot.
Therefore, he has only played 154 of the 328 potential games since joining the Habs, which equates to just 47% of the scheduled games in which he participated.
It’s not his fault, and we don’t want to demonize an athlete for getting injured, as that’s par for the course, but there’s no denying that Dach is prone to injuries, a situation the Canadiens must keep in mind as they consider what course of action to take next.
Dach is a restricted free agent this summer, and given that his salary was $4 million last season, the qualifying offer must be 100% of his Paragraph 1 (NHL) salary. You’ll note his actual cap hit was just $3.36 million, but the qualifying offers are based on salaries, not cap hits.
5v5 Production
With just eight goals and seven assists in 37 games, it’s fair to suggest his production was underwhelming.
We have to note that his usage changed considerably. He was used sparingly in the top six, but for the most part, he was demoted to a bottom-six role. His defensive-zone faceoffs increased, and his offensive-zone draws were way down.
Despite his low raw numbers, it was actually Dach’s most productive season at 5v5 (points per 60) since he joined the Canadiens, with the exception of 2023-24, a complete aberration due to the fact that he only played two games that year. He also enjoyed a solid year from a goals per 60 standpoint.
However, when we take a look at the bigger picture, it’s clear that Dach is no longer among the players counted upon to support the offence on most nights.
He finished 11th in points per 60, well behind rookie Oliver Kapanen, and slightly ahead of defenceman Noah Dobson.
Dach Underlying Numbers
If a forward can’t offer a somewhat sustainable source of offence, they must play a stalwart brand of defence to compensate.
There was a point in which Dach’s underlying numbers were quite good, but that’s no longer the situation. He’s outshot and outchanced on a regular basis, regardless of where he’s used in the lineup.
Again, we must account for injuries when discussing his results, but we also have to take a realistic approach to analyzing his potential value in the long term.
There’s also the matter of his role in the lineup, which was originally expected to be down the middle of the ice. I can remember some excited fans suggesting Dach should replace Nick Suzuki as the team’s first-line centre, but that was a case of putting the cart miles ahead of the horse.
Dach is not an NHL centre.
He genuinely struggles to win faceoffs, with a 36.5% success rate throughout his career. That wouldn’t be a significant issue if he managed to produce solid underlying numbers despite losing faceoffs.
To be fair, his underlying numbers improved slightly in 2025-26, but not enough to suggest he’s on an upward trend, which would be the ideal trajectory for a 25-year-old player.
Dach Playoff Value
Martin St-Louis lowered Dach’s ice time in the playoffs, dropping from 12 minutes a night, to just 9 minutes. He maintained almost the exact same points per 60 ratio at 5v5, and roughly the same underlying numbers.
He did provide the Canadiens with four goals in 19 games, which, believe it or not, was among the top results in the playoffs.
Only Alex Newhook (6), Josh Anderson (5), and Alexandre Texier (4) managed to score as many or more goals at 5v5.
And yet, while the first line dealt with suffocating coverage, many depth players managed to seize the opportunity and drive the offence.
Dach, on the other hand, didn’t exactly stand out. He had a few great games, a handful of solid outings, and a fair amount of shifts where very little of value occurred.
Given his contract status, you could argue that he failed to seize his chance.
Dach Player Grade
We’re going to give him a passing grade, keeping in mind injuries tend to be out of his control, but only barely.
Simply put, Dach has struggled to find his rhythm since joining the Canadiens, and now they have a difficult decision to make.
Should they qualify him, which would cost $4M on the salary cap?
Some will rush to say no, but we have to remember the salary cap has gone up considerably in recent years.
Keeping inflation and percentage of the salary cap in mind, the qualifying offer would be akin to a pay cut for Dach, at a time when he was probably hoping to sign the richest, and most stable contract of his career.
Injuries derailed that hope, diminishing both his short-term and long-term value in the process.
Given his low grade, his injury history, his underwhelming statistics, and his usage within the lineup, the logical path forward would be attempting a trade before a qualifying offer is necessary, and settling for trading his rights may be the only way to recoup some of the cost of acquisition.
There’s also the option of not qualifying him, and offering a more reasonable deal in the summer, but you risk losing his rights in that situation.
This means the clock is already running, as June 25th is the deadline for submitting NHL qualifying offers.
Kirby Dach Grade: D- (50-52%)
Montreal Canadiens and Kirby Dach statistics via Natural Stat Trick.
Previously published Canadiens player grades:
