At his first draft as the Montreal Canadiens general manager, Kent Hughes pulled off back-to-back trades. He sent the defenseman Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders for the 13th overall pick and acquired Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks with that pick.
Unfortunately, Dach faced adversity since he joined the Canadiens. Last year, an injury forced him to miss the entire season, and since he came back in the lineup, hasn't been able to get back to his former self.
This season, in 22 games, the 23-year-old forward scored only one goal and seven assists with an abysmal -18 rating.
While it would be surprising to see the Canadiens place him on the trade block, the insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that the player could be interested in evolving alongside Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.
He also added that he believes Kyle Dubas, the Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations, could be tempted to acquire him.
In his own words:
It takes time to get back on track after missing a year due to an injury. As of now, trading Dach could be a mistake. If the player finds his rhythm, he could end up a great asset for the Canadiens.
With his off-the-charts potential, and his combination of skills and size, he could play an important role in the Habs' rebuild. Fans hope to see the player turn his season around soon.
After acquiring Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators, Dubas could be tempted to do a similar trade with the Canadiens for Dach.
POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 29 | 138 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman Links Canadiens Player to Pittsburgh Penguins' Trade Radar Do you think the Montreal Canadiens would make a mistake by trading Kirby Dach? | ||
Yes | 83 | 60.1 % |
No | 55 | 39.9 % |
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