Kirby Dach is back in Brossard, and that’s a welcome sight for the Canadiens with training camp still a few weeks away.
For the first time since signing his new deal as a restricted free agent, the Montreal forward was back at work there yesterday morning. It’s an early return to the ice, and it lands at a useful moment for a player who has plenty to prove heading into the new season.
Dach’s last year was a tough one. He was limited to 37 games in the regular season and finished with 15 points and a minus-2 rating. He did show more life in the playoffs, though, picking up 5 points, including 4 goals, and looking more engaged.
That rebound matters now because the scrutiny around him has only grown. Gilbert Delorme recently called for a much better effort from Dach this season, and the 24-year-old has already been handed an early chance to respond before camp opens.
His return also adds to a busy stretch in Brossard for Canadiens players. Cole Caufield was there earlier in the week, while Kaiden Guhle’s absence from a session involving Montreal defensemen has also drawn some attention.
Selected third overall in 2019, Dach is still trying to find the consistency that would make him the impact player Montreal envisioned. Since arriving in Montreal in 2022, he has produced 77 points in 154 games, a total that has yet to fully match the expectations that came with his draft status.
The Canadiens are getting a key forward back in the building, and now Dach has a chance to start turning the conversation in his favor.
In Other News...
Canadiens Prospects Just Gave Fans Three New Reasons To Pay Attention
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Mooney is the one who already looks closest to forcing a decision, since his play at Minnesota has put him on the radar for a possible entry-level contract if he keeps trending up. Hages return gives Montreal another important look at a player whose development path has already been tested, while Runtso adds another fresh layer of intrigue once he settles in at Miami. The Canadiens do not need all of these prospects to hit at once, but they do need some of them to keep moving, and this fall should tell the team a lot about which ones are ready to push forward. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Goalie Situation Suddenly Hinges On Winnipegs Next Move
The Canadiens goaltending picture is suddenly tied to a bigger conversation out in Winnipeg, where any serious trade talk involving Connor Hellebuyck could ripple across the market and put Montreal in a spot it may have to address before long. Samuel Montembeault sits at the center of that uncertainty, with the current chatter suggesting the Canadiens could be watching the deadline landscape closely rather than treating their crease as settled.
Montembeaults future is already a talking point because a move before the deadline has been viewed as plausible, and the uncertainty only grows if the Jets decide to shift course. If Winnipeg starts asking around on Montreals goalie, the discussion could widen quickly, but for now it remains all speculation and there have been no confirmed transactions to report. [Read more 🡒]
Reinbacher Is Forcing A Canadiens Decision They Cant Dodge
David Reinbacher heads into camp with something more than a normal young defenders audition in front of him. The Canadiens prospect wants to crack the NHL roster this season and avoid another trip to Laval, and Francis Bouillon of the teams player development staff said Reinbacher made clear strides in the second half of last season while showing the kind of motivation that gets attention in an organization still sorting out its blue line.
The timing matters because Montreal appears willing to give him a real look rather than simply stash him away for more AHL seasoning. Reinbacher is in the mix for a spot on defense, and the Canadiens management seems open to rewarding the push if he keeps forcing the issue in camp. For a young player trying to turn promise into a permanent place, this is the kind of decision window that can reshape a season before it even starts. [Read more 🡒]