Canadiens Bracing for Big Decision on Former No. 3 Pick Amid Training Camp: Report

Chicago drafted Dach, 24, six years ago but traded him to Montreal three years later in exchange for first- and third-round picks in the 2022 draft. Dach is coming off playing 57 games last season, producing 10 goals and 22 points before undergoing knee surgery in February.

Durability, precisely, has been a concern throughout Dach's career, with injuries repeatedly halting his development and limiting him to a career-high 70 appearances in 2022 but no more than 58 in four of his other five years in the NHL.

The 6-foot-4 forward is entering the final year of his four-year, $13.45 million contract, which carries an annual $3.36 million cap hit. Dach will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn't agree to an extension before July 1, with a qualifying offer set at $4 million.

If Dach cannot establish himself as Montreal’s second-line center, the Canadiens could explore trade options or consider shifting him into a bottom-six role as they keep looking for an improvement at their second-line center role.

Head coach Martin St. Louis already sent a strong message at the start of camp pushing another former Canadiens' first-round player, Juraj Slafkovsky (Montreal's 2022 No. 1 overall pick), challenging him to show more urgency from the start of the season.

“It starts now. Yesterday. It starts with the player,” St. Louis said via Sportsnet. “You can’t hold everyone’s hand, and [Slafkovsky] is not 18 years old anymore. He’s older, he’s more mature, he has experience.”

After making the playoffs last spring for the first time in several years, Montreal now expects not only to return but to contend deeper into the postseason.