Status of Canadiens’ Kirby Dach Explains Trade Talk

Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach may not be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season, according to a report by Maxime Truman of Dans Les Coulisses. Despite earlier assurances from the Canadiens in February that Dach would be fully recovered from knee surgery in time for training camp, signs now point to continued rehab and a delayed return.

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In a post translated from French to English, Truman writes, “I repeat: five months after his most recent knee surgery and about forty days before the start of training camp, Kirby Dach is still not recovered and ready to play.”

Dach has been spending the summer in Edmonton with teammate Kaiden Guhle, but hasn’t been seen skating at full speed. In fact, he’s only been spotted on the ice once in Brossard this offseason, and appeared to be holding back. Gym sightings also suggest he’s using light weights during workouts, far from the expectations of an NHL-caliber player nearing camp readiness.

Dach has remained quiet on social media, with no public updates since November 2024. While the Canadiens are hopeful their projected second-line center can be a key piece of a potential playoff push, his uncertain status is becoming a growing concern. With only weeks to go before training camp, Dach’s absence would leave a major gap in Montreal’s forward group — one that won’t be easily filled if his recovery continues to stall.

Canadiens Keeping Eyes Open for 2nd Line Center

Dach’s status could explain why the Canadiens are so frequently mentioned when it comes to trade speculation for a second-line center. They’ve been loosely linked to several names this summer, even if nothing is imminent.

They aren’t deep behind Nick Suzuki up the middle, and if Dach is going to miss any time, or the Canadiens believe he’ll be a question mark even if healthy to start the year, GM Kent Hughes might decide to pull the trigger on a trade.

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