Kirby Dach: The countdown has begun

Now, as a restricted free agent this summer, Dach has been offered a two-part contract by the Canadiens. My colleague Maxime Truman mentioned this a few days ago.

The team has the right to do this due to his injuries, and they chose this approach to retain his rights without necessarily committing to the terms of a costly contract.

The player, for his part, responded by requesting arbitration. If an arbitrator ends up ruling on the case, it's because the player and the club will not have reached an agreement beforehand.

And that, too, is all part of the game. After all, it puts pressure on the short-term negotiations by eliminating the option of a two-part deal for Dach. That's just how negotiations work.

Everyone is within their rights here, and that's perfectly fine. But the fact remains that the past year—and especially the past week—has clearly set the clock ticking.

Which one? The countdown to his departure from Montreal. Eric Engels spoke about this very topic on Tony Marinaro's Sick Podcast last night.

Will Kent Hughes be able to find a new team for Dach this summer? Will he start next season in Montreal before being traded down the line? Will he leave as an unrestricted free agent in a year?

We don't know.

But let's just say we'd be surprised to see him sign a contract longer than one year with the Canadiens this summer and stay through 2027. That would be a huge surprise to me.

Dach doesn't fit the mold of a bottom-six player with the Canadiens… he doesn't have what it takes to establish himself in the team's top six… he's had so many chances without it working out on a consistent basis… he hasn't always been a fan favorite…

At some point, you have to face the facts: the situation with his contract has to be the final nail in the coffin. He needs to give himself the chance to look elsewhere to see if a different environment might be more favorable for him—which is what we wish for him.

It remains to be seen when that will happen.

In a nutshell

– Indeed.

– Interesting.

– Shane Wright shouldn't be part of the solution in Montreal.