In 2019, the Chicago Blackhawks lucked into the third overall pick with a lottery selection. With that choice, they selected Kirby Dach which was a controversial decision right off the bat. He was a good player for them but he was never able to take a step while wearing a Blackhawks uniform.
They didn’t need him to become a star within the first three years but it didn’t seem like he was growing at all. During the 2022 NHL Draft, the Hawks traded Dach to the Montreal Canadiens for a first-round draft pick in addition to a third-round pick.
Since joining the Canadiens, they converted him to a winger full time and that has changed his game completely. After scoring two goals against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, Dach now has four on the season and eight assists for 12 points.
The scary fact that might make Chicago fans upset is the fact that Dach’s 12 points would lead the Hawks in scoring. Patrick Kane currently leads the team with 10. Did they give up on their old third-overall pick too soon?
The Chicago Blackhawks are seeing Kirby Dach thrive with another organization.
It might take some time to come to that conclusion but the early signs aren’t great. They should have selected Bowen Byram with that pick anyway but in picking Kirby Dach, they could have given him more time to develop. We will see what becomes of their draft selections given to them in the trade.
Dach is being enhanced by his linemates in Montreal as well. Both Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield make a great duo and Dach is there to help them out. The three of them make up the three leading scorers on the Canadiens.
Montreal is a good young team. They don’t necessarily have the most loaded roster in the league but they are developing lots of nice young players there. It shouldn’t be too long before that season comes when they are ready to win. It would be nice to see Dach keep it up.
Although Dach would lead Chicago in scoring going into Thursday’s game, it isn’t a guarantee to be the case after the year is over. Patrick Kane got off to a somewhat slow start and is now starting to turn it on.
Although we don’t know the certainty of his status going forward, he is on the Blackhawks and trying to win at this point in time. Maybe if the Hawks trade everyone away, Dach would have led the team in scoring but that remains to be seen.
It would have been nice to see Dach play like this with Chicago but they never gave him what he needed to be successful. With Montreal, he is certainly getting that and then some.
