Canadiens' Kirby Dach out for season with torn ACL and MCL

Dach, 22, suffered the injury midway through the first period of Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Dach’s former team. It was on a play where Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi hit Dach into the Chicago bench, and he left the game shortly after. He finished the game with three hits taken and a faceoff lost in 4:40 of ice time as the Habs won the game 3-2.

Dach was off to a solid start in Montreal, with two assists in two games, both coming in the Habs season-opening game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a continuation of his breakout season in his first year with the Canadiens in 2022-23, where he had 14 goals, 24 assists, and 38 points in 58 games.

The Habs have been playing offseason addition Alex Newhook in the second-line center role as a replacement for the injury. Newhook centered Tanner Pearson and Juraj Slafkovsky during Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild, which they lost 5-2. It appears to be the solution for Dach’s injury for the time being, so they won’t pursue a replacement in the trade market for now.

Dach was a former third-overall pick of the Blackhawks in the 2019 NHL Draft, and he spent three seasons with Chicago before he was dealt to the Canadiens for a first and third-round pick in the 2022 offseason. He’s currently in the second year of a four-year contract with a $3,362,500 cap hit, one he signed with the Habs after they acquired him.

The injury might not be a huge blow in terms of the Habs' aspirations, as they likely won’t be competing for a playoff spot this season, but it does hinder Dach’s development for the season. The Habs currently sit in fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 1-1-1 record.