Stop thinking that Kirby Dach can change

Hoping that Kirby Dach will become a key player is like dating a bad boy in the hope of turning him into a nice guy. Unfortunately, if you're looking for something else, you have to move on more often than not.

Yesterday, Dach played for 9:40. Martin St-Louis doesn't want to give his “bad boy” any more big chances, and it shows.

But turning to a “good boy” doesn't automatically mean things will be better. After all, Owen Beck's example shows us that, too.

Last night, he had 6:59 of ice time. We didn't see him when he was on the ice.

The Habs called him up even though he wasn't the best forward on the Laval Rocket and even though he'd gotten off to a rough start to the season down there. How can we be surprised by such a… mixed result? #Meritocracy

So yesterday, the Canadiens had 10 trusted forwards and two other guys in uniform. And even though it's too early to draw any conclusions about Beck, we can still say that he'll have to learn to make the most of his opportunities.

Ultimately, what we're trying to say is that the Canadiens need reinforcements on offense. Injuries to Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Florian Xhekaj are helping players like Dach and Beck get ice time.

But some internal competition would do everyone good. Why? Because it's easy to get fed up with Dach, who remains one of the team's worst forwards. Night after night, it's the same old story.

His performance yesterday is no exception to the rule: he's often among the worst.

Aside from one shift in the first game, he's been struggling this season. He's sluggish because he's afraid of contact—despite his size, which is an advantage for an NHL player.

He lacks speed. He shoots too infrequently and too poorly. He lacks vision. He struggles at the faceoff circle. What purpose does he serve on the 2026 Canadiens?

We understand why the Habs tried to offer him a two-way contract. And we understand why they turned him down…

Quick Thoughts

– Hehe.

– Oh.

– A good series in the American League.

– Stay tuned.

– A goal scorer in his zone is good for his team.