Elliotte Friedman Discusses Penguins Trade Possibilities for Former Canadiens First Round Pick

Marc Dumont of 'Montreal Hockey Now' looked at the rumors of the Montreal Canadiens trading Kirby Dach after Elliotte Friedman discussed that as a possibility on the '32 Thoughts' podcast.

Friedman suggested that Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas might look at Kirby Dach as a great fit, and he could see him playing with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

As Friedman followed up to say there's no indication of active trade talks, he floated the idea of Dach benefiting from a new opportunity, similar to his resurgence after joining Montreal in 2022.

Dach has struggled this season, scoring just eight points in 22 games, along with declining underlying metrics. Still, Dumont argued that the Canadiens are unlikely to move the player, particularly given their investment in his development.

The Canadiens moved out the 13th overall pick, along with a third-rounder, to bring in Dach, at least suggesting some belief in his long-term potential.

Analyst Kyle Bukauskas gave credence to such sentiments when he said that the Canadiens are far from the stage where they'd consider moving Dach, considering the management team's approach of being very patient.

Dumont added that trading Dach now, while his value is so low because of injuries and inconsistency, would run against the organization's strategy of building with young talent.

While acknowledging that any player could be moved for the right return, Dumont emphasized that Pittsburgh's 2025 first-round pick, a potential trade asset, doesn't align with Montreal's rebuilding timeline.

He concluded that the Canadiens remain focused on developing Dach rather than dealing him for speculative future returns.

Dumont's comments reinforced the Canadiens' commitment to patience and player growth, which likely means a trade at this point seems highly unlikely.