Canadiens Analysis: Impact Of Long-Term Kirby Dach Injury

Another long-term injury will have a significant impact on the Canadiens lineup, and we’ll discuss that shortly, but the first thing that comes to mind is Dach’s mental health. He’s already missed an unreasonable amount of games since the trade that brought him to Montreal, with Friday’s announcement marking the third consecutive year in which he suffered a season-ending injury.

To make matters worse, it’s the same knee that required a surgical intervention last season.

A strong support system will be needed, seeing as being held out of action for prolonged periods is one of the most frustrating situations for any athlete, let alone an athlete that already has an unfortunate history of injuries.

Montreal Canadiens Impact

There’s some good news, or some not-so-bad news to discuss, as Dach is expected to be healthy in time for the 2025-26 season. The injury also put an end to a frustrating season in which Dach struggled to find his form.

Perhaps a complete reset will be the best path forward.

As for the impact on the team, we have to be realistic about Dach’s trajectory since arriving in Montreal. There’s no denying that he produced very encouraging numbers in the past, but those days are long gone.

Next season will represent the final year of his contract, which carries a $3,362,500 annual average value (AAV). It will give Kent Hughes and Co. another opportunity to gauge Dach’s long-term value, which is now in doubt.

It may sound harsh, but it’s time to come up with contingency plans that assume Dach won’t be available to the team as early as next year. Even if he completely recovers, it’s doubtful he’ll ever regain his pre-injury form, as knee issues tend to severely impact mobility.

The injury should also lead to an uptick in ice time for prospects such as Owen Beck. He’s always hungry for more, knows how to win face offs, and has a penchant for quickly driving the play up the ice. His sense of urgency has been a welcome addition to the current Canadiens lineup, representing a stark contrast to Dach’s more relaxed style of play.

Trade Deadline And AHL Playoffs

The situation is further complicated by the upcoming NHL Trade Deadline, set for March 7. Several teams have called the Canadiens to inquire about a possible trade involving Jake Evans and Joel Armia, but now that the Habs have lost Dach for the remainder of the season, there’s a chance Hughes will reconsider trading Evans, a veteran centre.

In that same vein, the Laval Rocket are gearing up for a lengthy run in the AHL playoffs, with hopes of capturing a Calder Cup, adding another wrinkle to the mix. Pilfering an AHL team due to a lack of warm bodies in the NHL is par for the course, but it’s far from ideal when we consider the importance of exposing prospects to a winning environment.

Of course, the Montreal Canadiens will always take precedence over the Laval Rocket, which means there’s a chance we will end up seeing Jared Davidson in the NHL to plug some of the holes left behind by injuries and trades.

He may not be the most discussed Canadiens prospect, but I’d argue he’s among the most entertaining, while also possesssing the type of skill set necessary to flourish in a bottom-six NHL role.