Should The Habs Scratch Kirby Dach to Start the Playoffs?

Dach has been with the Habs for 4 years now, and never once has he managed to play at least 60 games for the team. In fact, Dach has missed more games than he’s played during that time, suiting up in just 150 of the 324 regular season games that the Canadiens have played since he was acquired at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Even on Tuesday in his first game back, he took a stick in the face and had to leave the game for awhile, just showing how unlucky that he is and that another injury is probably around the corner.

Dach was also injured during last year’s 5-game playoff series against the Washington Capitals, meaning he comes in with no NHL playoff experience. With that being said, although there is still untapped potential, the truth is that he has never been able to progress with the Habs, and other unexpected players would be more beneficial to the Habs lineup than Dach to start the playoffs at the very least.

One of those guys happens to be Texier, who was essentially brought in as depth to replace him in the lineup when he fractured his foot back in November. As a result, Texier has been more reliable and more effective as a middle-six winger for the Habs as a whole with his strong forechecking and a Swiss Army knife that can move up and down the Canadiens lineup quite effectively. Yes, Dach has the potential to be a better player than Texier, but due to all the injuries, he has yet to prove that.

Now with all the depth at forward, it is a lot harder to get into the lineup, and there are many others like Dach on the bubble, but some bring something that the Habs’ 6’4″ forward can’t consistently. For example, his current linemate Zack Bolduc has been a healthy scratch on a few occasions due to struggles in producing offence. However, while Bolduc has struggled to score since December 23rd, having just one goal in his last 39 games, he has found a spot in the Habs bottom-six as a physical checking forward that can be very useful come playoff time. This is also why someone like Joe Veleno, who is genuinely seen as the Habs’ 13th forward on the team, would be more inclined to have an impact on the game than Dach in the tight-checking playoff hockey style.

Dach has the ability to be a physical presence with his 6’4″ frame, and we’ve seen flashes of it, but there hasn’t been much consistency in that part of his game, making it hard for him to fit in the bottom six of a team in the playoffs. Meanwhile, his offensive game hasn’t warranted him to steal a role from Alex Newhook or even Oliver Kapanen (he got bumped down on Thursday, but the point remains) in the Habs’ top 6.

Dach doesn’t have the defensive acumen that makes guys like Jake Evans, Josh Anderson (physical play), or Phillip Danault so valuable during the playoffs, leaving no regular spot for him in the lineup if everyone is ready to go at the start of the playoffs.

There just isn’t a place for Dach to stick in the lineup once the playoffs start, as he just doesn’t have a proper role where he fits. Nonetheless, if someone struggles in the first few games of the playoffs, he could be the guy who comes to prove that he belongs, but otherwise there just isn’t a real fit for Dach. There also isn’t the time in the playoffs for him to get a grace period to find his gane as the Habs will need results right away.

Do you see Dach starting the playoffs in the lineup, or do you think he should be in the press box?