Former no. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach could hit the market and the Maple Leafs should pounce
Photo credit: Nov 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach (77) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Dallas Stars at Bell Centre
Kirby Dach could move this off-season, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are one club that could make sense for the forward as a perfect place to stage a comeback.
The Toronto Maple Leafs could get offensive help out of former first rounder Kirby Dach. The 2019 third overall pick is looking for a new opportunity, and that could come with the Leafs.
Canadiens reporter Stu Cowan reported that Kirby Dach could be a player outside of the Montreal Canadiens picture with the potential of rookie Michael Hage making the roster next season.
Hage has dealt with constant injury problems since entering the NHL, having missed the rest of the 2023-24 season after tearing his ACL & MCL in his second game of the season, being out long-term in both seasons following for unrelated injuries.
Dach has missed more than 10 games in each of his last four seasons. This season, he missed 31 games for Montreal with a fractured foot, shortly after returning having been injured again and out for the rest of the season.
The Kirby Dach buy-low opportunity and why the Canadiens are at a crossroads
Despite his injuries, Kirby Dach has still shown his upside in his limited games played, but is potentially no longer fitting in the Canadiens lineup.
Dach, 25, has eight goals and 14 points in 32 games for Montreal this season, but shows far more consistency when healthy, he's needing a return to full health.
Hage could usurp Dach from the middle-six. Beyond Nick Suzuki, the rest of the center group is already crowded with youngster Oliver Kapanen currently taking his role on the top-six. Montreal also has veterans Jake Evans and Philip Danault down the middle, plus AHLer Owen Beck in the wait.
Dach is in the final year of a four-year contract, and could set him up for a move for the RFA to become an unrestricted free agent if the Canadiens cut ties.
Reclaiming a top-six identity and the $4-million dollar risk for the Maple Leafs
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they lack center depth with the trades of Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton, and Dach could be a high-risk, high-reward move.
The Leafs don't have a top young center like Dach in their lineup. If he can stay healthy, the 6'3 center could fit well on Toronto's third line.
With the Leafs health issues, it's hard to see how an injury prone Kirby Dach makes sense for a Toronto team that one of its biggest issue this season has been injuries.
It would also be great to have Dach on the roster he has consistently torched the team to the tune of eight points in 12 games. If he plays well against them, maybe he can translate that into production with them.
There is a very real chance that Kirby Dach is out the door in Montreal this season, but could be a risky pickup at low cost. But if he gets injured again, it could be the end of a once promising career.
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