No one really wants to hear about Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach getting injured and understandably so. After the Habs set man-games lost records the last few seasons, news coming mere games into 2023-24 that Dach is out with a significant injury certainly is unwelcome to say the absolute least.
However, ignoring injuries isn’t exactly a luxury anyone has. Not only is that a mindset that was partly responsible for the injury-front phenomenon the Canadiens went through, but, seeing as the Dach one is reportedly long-term in nature, they need to move on in some fashion. They’ve already taken steps to doing just that, but there are other ramifications that need addressing. Here are the top three:
3. Newhook Moves to Center
This is probably the most obvious one, as it’s already been reported the Canadiens intend on playing Alex Newhook down the middle to replace Dach. Newhook at center is also something the Habs had tried out during the preseason, and with good reason. After all, Newhook was drafted as one to start.
Secondly, based on a now-irrelevant point of view, Dach had arguably made sense as a complement to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the top line at right wing instead. He was the one with whom the dynamic duo had displayed the most chemistry last season. Had the Canadiens gone that way, Newhook centering the second line probably made the most sense (instead of, say, Sean Monahan) because of how he’s clearly in the team’s long-term plans.
So, now’s the time to see exactly what the Canadiens have in Newhook. Expectations for this season were relatively low heading in and probably more so now, unfortunately. Dach was going to be a big piece of the relatively impressive offense the team’s displayed up to now. Maybe Newhook can follow in Dach’s footsteps once again.
2. Harvey-Pinard into Top Six?
Newhook to center is just the first domino to fall. Now someone will have to take Newhook’s left-wing spot on that line (with Juraj Slafkovsky at right wing). Rafael Harvey-Pinard is the logical choice based on the offensive success he’s already enjoyed a) last season in a top-six role and b) so far this season, albeit in relatively small sample sizes.
Last season, due to the aforementioned injury situation, Harvey-Pinard got a chance to play with Suzuki. He delivered to the tune of 14 goals, which ranked ninth among NHL rookies (despite dressing for just 34 games). He was rewarded with a two-year, one-way deal for this season and, despite playing (much) lower down the lineup on the fourth line, he’s continued to produce, with two assists in two games, coincidentally the same exact output as Dach.
There are alternatives to replace Newhook at left wing. However, Tanner Pearson is probably more suited to a bottom-six role at this point of his career. Ditto for Michael Pezzetta, who’ll realistically draw in to replace Harvey-Pinard on the fourth line. While Jesse Ylonen also played with Suzuki last season (with Harvey-Pinard), having demonstrated a pretty good release in the past, Harvey-Pinard has shown more consistency from a production perspective. Considering he was a realistic top-six option after last season, he’s the most deserving to get another shot now after he did so much with the last.
1. Dvorak Suddenly Becomes an Important Piece
The exact timetable for Dach’s return isn’t exactly known. However, Christian Dvorak’s is clearer, as he’s set to return in November. That is still a few weeks away, but Newhook can hold down the fort down the middle in the meantime. The Canadiens can assess the latter’s play as a pivot and determine whether it makes sense to move him back to the wing once Dvorak comes back… or keep him there.
The Canadiens don’t necessarily need to play Dvorak, the team’s second-line center from a few seasons ago, right back in that spot. They can play him at left wing, in Newhook’s old spot, or place him at center, just on the third line, moving Monahan up instead. It shouldn’t be lost on anyone that Monahan successfully established himself as the Habs’ second-line center in 2022-23 before he suffered a season-ending injury in December. Whichever way the Canadiens go, a healthy Dvorak gives them options.
Prior to Dach’s recent injury, Dvorak was seen as expendable and potential trade bait. Now, though? Considering he isn’t realistically going to fetch the Canadiens much on the trade market except maybe cap space and a roster spot, he’s become more valuable, at least to the Habs themselves.
Dvorak may not have come as advertised when the Canadiens first acquired him in the summer of 2021. However, if the Habs are serious about being more competitive this season, and, if the Dach injury is as serious as initial reports indicate, they’d presumably be looking for someone to replace him on the roster via trade as we speak. They’d be hard-pressed to find someone of Dvorak’s caliber for a reasonable price at this juncture of this season. Thankfully, they won’t need to search long and far.
Ultimately, there isn’t any replacing what Dach brings to the lineup. Furthermore, everyone should hope for a speedy recovery simply out of concern for his long-term health. However, based on the team’s training camp and the well-documented logjam up front heading in, the Canadiens do have the NHL-caliber players to weather this storm. It’s once the injuries start to pile up that the Habs will have to search longer and further for answers… including with regard to why this keeps happening. Knock on wood this is just a(n incredibly unfortunate) coincidence.
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