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The Canadiens are (even more) rotten in the face-off circle

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 11:49 AM ET

A few days ago, a hockey man told me this: in modern hockey, all players on the ice must know how to defend. Playing center vs. playing wing is all about being able to win face-offs.

In short, the big difference between a winger and a center is efficiency in the face-off circle. Of course, there are also defensive, physical and visionary aspects to consider, but you get the idea.

So I was tempted to evaluate the Canadiens’ center line by looking at their efficiency in the face-off circle (last season and in their NHL career).

1. Nick Suzuki: 51.6% in 2024-25 and 49.1% in his career
After four seasons under the 50% mark, Nick Suzuki has just had two seasons in which he won more than every other face-off. He’s no problem for the Habs.

2. Kirby Dach: 40.3% in 2024-25 and 36.1% in his career
Before his injury, Dach was having his “best” season in the face-off circle last year. Except, looking at all this – and remembering the words of thehockey man I had the chance to chat with – we have to face the facts: Kirby Dach doesn’t have what it takes to play center in the best league in the world right now.

That’s probably why Marc Bureau has been coaching Zachary Bolduc over the past few days, with a view to improving his skills in the face-off circle. Because it’s easy to believe that Bolduc could play alongside Dach and Demidov… and take face-offs from the left side.

On their strong side, Bolduc and Dach should be about 50% efficient. I hope so, at least..

Kirby Dach needs to improve in the face-off circle.(Credit: Getty Images)

3. Alex Newhook: 42.8% in 2024-25 and 41.8% in his career
The only left-handed center currently projected to start the season in that position with the Canadiens, Newhook is struggling to win four out of 10 face-offs as well.

A team can’t hope to go far in the playoffs with only one left-handed center… who loses six face-offs out of 10. Losing one or two important face-offs often makes the difference in the elite.

4. Jake Evans: 52.9% in 2024-25 and 51.6% in his career
Evans has become the best defensive center in the organization, and also the best at taking a face-off.

He practiced, then practiced… and practiced some more. And he’s become very good at it . Do Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook practice as much? If so, why aren’t they improving?

For the curious, Jordan Kyrou (40.3% career and right-handed) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (44.1% career) aren’t options that would make the Habs a better club in the face-off circle.

But Sidney Crosby is, winning 57% of his faceoffs last season and 58.2% the season before.

This guy would solve a lot of problems.(Credit: Getty Images)

Oliver Kapanen already has a better percentage than Dach and Newhook (42.9%), but he’s right-handed too.

Juraj Slafkovsky? He won 40.8% of the face-offs he took in the NHL.

In short, we need to improve this important aspect of the game before we can expect the Canadiens to be successful .

Because Christian Dvorak (left-handed center with a 55%+ success rate over the past two years) has left the organization and won’t be around to start the 2025-26 overtime periods. It’s a fact: the Canadiens aren’t as good as last year in the face-off circle.