Canadiens Re-Sign Kirby Dach

The Montreal Canadiens have avoided salary arbitration with forward Kirby Dach. The two sides have agreed on a one-year contract with a cap hit of $3.6MM. This move will secure Dach’s spot in the lineup as he continues to work his way back into routine minutes. The 25 year old has missed 150 games – or 61 perecent of Montreal’s action – over the last three seasons.

Injuries have headlined Dach’s career in the NHL. He missed stints of the 2025-26 season with three separate injuries – three games to a lower-body injury in October, 31 games to a fractured foot in November, and 11 games to an upper-body injury in March. Those injuries continued a year-over-year streak of missing extended stints to injury that began when Dach fractured his wrist during a game at the 2021 World Junior Championships. He sustained three injuries in the 2022-23 season as well, then underwent knee surgery in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.

Extended stints outside of the lineup have capped Dach’s ability to find his footing in Montreal. He showed signs of promise in the 2022-23 season, his first with the Canadiens. After a few quiet years with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dach emerged as a strong, middle-six winger in his move to Montreal – marked by 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games before injuries in February, March, and April knocked his season off-track. That scoring pace, 0.65 points-per-game, put Dach on pace for 20 goals and 54 points across 82 games.

Dach’s scoring pace fell quickly after he missed all but two games of the 2023-24 season. He scored just 22 points in 57 games (0.39 P/GP) in 2024-25 and just 15 points in 37 games (0.41 P/GP) last season. Those dips have coincided with Dach’s slide down Montreal’s lineup – in favor of top prospect Ivan Demidov, buoying veteran Alex Newhook, and multiple additions at center. Dach averaged a career-low 13:39 in ice time last season.

The string of up-and-down potential and countless injuries left Montreal in a difficult spot with Dach this summer. He has shown signs of true promise and looks the part of a pro when he puts together long stretches of healthy play. Then again, his limited statline gave the Canadiens little to go on as they decided on a price. Facing those challenges, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has opted to bridge the gap – extending Dach to a commendable cap hit and walking him to unrestricted free-agency. While Montreal could have negotiated a lower cap hit, or tried to buy a year of UFA-eligibility, they’ll instead grant Dach control over his prime years after one last chance to prove that he can play a full season.