At the beginning of the season, I mentioned that the Canadiens could face challenges, and while the team has been entertaining, I wouldn’t say I’m fully convinced yet.
In their matchups against Pittsburgh and Boston, the Canadiens struggled, showing disarray in the first period against Ottawa as well. They managed to win against Toronto primarily due to Samuel Montembeault’s impressive 48 saves.
There are bright spots, but evaluating the team still presents difficulties. One reason I predicted a tough start was the return of Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine from prolonged absences—prior to Laine’s injury, of course.
Having both Dach and Laine on the second line suggested that the top forwards wouldn’t gel perfectly right away. Both players, significant additions to the offense, require time to readjust after their injuries; expecting immediate production from them wouldn’t be fair, as pointed out by Charles-Alexis Brisebois.
We’re seeing this adjustment with Dach, who has already played more games than last season but is encountering challenges. According to TVA Sports’ Nicolas Cloutier, the coach recognizes that Dach needs time to regain his game fitness, which can only happen through real game experience.
However, that hasn’t been evident just yet, which is understandable. Still, I do notice his effort is there, and I’m not concerned about his progress—Martin St-Louis on Dach’s performance.
Could there be a shift in line for Dach, who is currently alongside Alex Newhook and Joel Armia? It’s a possibility. St-Louis hasn’t ruled out making changes.
I’ve mentioned before that I would be interested in seeing Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky paired with Dach, but I’m uncertain if St-Louis wants to disrupt his top line.
It’s also possible that moving Dach to the wing could facilitate his adjustment back into the game. However, I don’t sense any immediate changes on the horizon. Nonetheless, if the coach believes switching up his line could benefit Dach, it remains a viable option.
