Introduction
In his fourth feature on this list, Kirby Dach sits in his lowest placement so far after another injury-plagued season with the Montreal Canadiens. He started the season with five points in the Habs’ first 10 games, leaving fans hopeful they’d see the version of Dach they did in 2022. Unfortunately, as the year went on, he struggled. He looked sluggish, was taking too long to recover from hits, and looked lethargic on the ice. Fans and journalists talked about it being a recovery season, but Dach showed little improvement as he built up his game experience.
In January, he seemed to be skating with an extra jump in his step and showed more confidence with the puck. He had seven points in 14 games, including five goals. Unfortunately, another MCL and ACL tear in February would sideline him for the rest of the season. Now, three years since the trade that brought him over from Chicago, Dach has only managed to suit up for 117 of the Canadiens’ 246 games, leaving question marks about whether he will ever be able to fill the second-line centre role that he was acquired to play.
It’s been just over six months since Dach’s injury, and nobody knows whether he will be healthy to start the season. Repairing two ligaments takes time, and the Canadiens aren’t in a place where Dach can have another ‘recovery’ season. If Dach is going to return, it needs to be at 100% to be a positive factor.
Voting
Dach had the biggest swing in voting out of any player in the top 10. Nobody had him higher than I did at seventh, with the range extending down to 16th.
The community graph shows a similar story to that EOTP writers. Very few had him in the top five, with ninth getting the highest percentage of the votes.
Top 25 Under 25 History
Dach’s significant drop this season is somewhat unsurprising after another season marred by injuries. He received a reprieve a year ago given the strong start to his tenure, but didn’t didn’t get the same treatment this summer.
History of #10
Year
#10
2025
Kirby Dach
2024
Logan Mailloux
2023
Owen Beck
2022
Filip Mesar
2021
Sean Farrell
2020
Jake Evans
2019
Noah Juulsen
2018
Charlie Lindgren
2017
Jacob de la Rose
2016
Michael McCarron
2015
Michael McCarron
2014
Charles Hudon
2013
Charles Hudon
2012
Sebastian Collberg
2011
Jarred Tinordi
2010
Dustin Boyd
Strengths
Dach’s biggest asset is undoubtedly his ability to transport the puck. When he has it on his stick, he’s able to slow down the game, moving through defenders in slow motion. He has surprisingly soft hands for a big player and a long reach that make him an elite puck-carrier when at speed.
He is primarily a playmaker, looking to create offence through the middle of the ice and on the rush. He enjoys playing a system that allows him the creativity to move dynamically, and he excels in one-on-one offensive situations. He is effective at zone entries, one of the few metrics in which he had good success last season, and it’s evident when you watch him. His hands, size, and reach let him move through defenders, while his vision enables him to break down the play.
He has the offensive talent required to be a game-changing forward. He can command the ice along the half-wall, and he has mobile hips that make him a serious threat when cutting into the inside. He’s a dynamic skater with excellent edgework and fantastic fundamentals that can and have dominated in the NHL. His shot is above average, and when paired with his offensive instincts, he can be lethal from the slot.
Weaknesses
Unfortunately, Dach’s biggest weaknesses should be strengths. After multiple surgeries, he wasn’t the same skater last season that he was three years ago. It’s anyone’s guess whether he can get back to the level he was at, though from what I have personally seen in my time in Brossard in the last two weeks, his skating isn’t game-ready yet.
In 2024-25, he looked slow, clumsy, and stagnant on the ice. He was frequently caught flatfooted through the neutral zone, and nobody on the Habs had a worse plus/minus rating. His two-way play improved throughout the year, but he wasn’t an effective defensive-zone player despite that being the most complete part of his game when he broke into the league.
The faceoff dot is another area in which Dach struggles. His career effectiveness with the Canadiens is 38.7%, with a career-high percentage of 40.3% last year. This is a problem for him and the Habs’ current roster creation. A centreman who draws below 45% won’t be trusted to take defensive-zone draws, and with the loss of Christian Dvorak the Habs are lacking a true shutdown centre. This factor was already in play last season, with Dach starting only 6% of his shifts in the defensive zone. The fact is, Dach will lose shifts to Jake Evans and (should be make the roster) Joe Veleno when the Habs need someone to win a draw.
Projection
It’s hard to project what Dach will become because he’s not really a prospect anymore. He’s played at a 60-point pace before and has been effective as a 2C. That’s what he can be: a productive second-line centre who can take over plays with his skill and can be trusted not to be a defensive liability. We’ve seen the kind of player he is when he’s healthy and playing with confidence.
The main question isn’t whether he can find his game. The concern is his health, not his skill. What remains to be seen is whether he can find success if his body doesn’t return to 100%. There was some reason for optimism last year when he returned from the Christmas break rejuvenated. He was skating better, but he also adjusted his game.
He started using his body more, working the corners and the half-wall instead of waiting for the puck in the middle of the ice. He stopped trying to be dynamic through the neutral zone, with a more simplified his game, and it brought him some success. He nearly doubled his hit rate from 2022-23, finishing fifth among forwards (in just 57 games) while giving up 33% fewer defensive turnovers. Throughout January and February, his goals per 60 minutes increased slightly, and fans began to see a new, yet effective version of him … before his injury in February.
It’s impossible to say what kind of player Dach will be after his latest injury, but the way I see it, unless his skating returns to the level it was he’ll have to continue adapting. At 6’4″, and 220 pounds, he may need to become a true physical two-way centre. Whether he can do that or not remains to be seen, and his future is possibly the foggiest of any player on this list.