Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens’ Toughest Call Might Be Coming at the Worst Time

One big game from Kirby Dach changes nothing—and everything. Montreal now faces a real contract call with a very tricky young player now!!

by
Old Prof
April 25, 2026

Kirby Dach has put Montréal in an awkward spot. He’s a big-bodied, 6-foot-4 former third-overall pick with a $3.36M cap hit. But his contract is set to become an RFA this offseason. Through the first two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he looked rough and took heat for it. Then Game 3 happened. And suddenly, his line (with Zach Bolduc and Alex Texier) was arguably the Canadiens’ best line.

So now what?

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Faces a Tough Decision

Kent Hughes’ track record matters here. He’s the GM who’s handed out big extensions to guys like Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovský out of their entry-level contracts (ELCs), but he’s also shown he won’t just sign everyone long-term for the sake of it.

He gave Dach a $3.36M deal already, and later signed Newhook in a similar fashion. Basically, Hughes pays when a player earns it. Dach hasn’t consistently earned it yet.

Dach’s Game 3 was good, and he helped his team take a 2–1 series lead over the favoured Lightning. It might cancel out the problems he had in Game 2, but one game doesn’t make him a new core piece.

Kirby Dach injury Canadiens — Kirby Dach has been injured and inconsistent. Will the Canadiens re-sign him this offseason?

Dach Needs to Stay Healthy and Be More Consistent

If Dach wants to be part of the young core Hughes is building, he needs sustained physical durability and consistent, game-to-game play. The Habs should only consider a new deal if it’s cheap and short-term enough that Dach has to prove himself. That likely means a bridge deal where he shows he can stay healthy and produce reliably.

Also, there’s the optics of re-signing Dach. Fans like his potential, but management must be smart. Locking Dach into a long-term deal because of a few good games would be sloppy thinking. Give him a short prove-it deal, let him build momentum, stay healthy, and show he can drive play consistently.

If he does that, you reward him. If not, you’ve paid minimally and can pivot. Either way, don’t bet the future on a maybe—make him earn his spot.

Will the Canadiens Re-Sign Dach?

Hughes is smart enough not to overreact to a single good game. Dach likely needs to earn a bigger contract by taking a smaller, shorter, more team-friendly contract. If he wants to be part of this young and rising group, the long-term contract only comes if he proves consistency and durability.