If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Martin St.Louis throughout his playing years is his extraordinary ability to fire up his teammates while simultaneously making them better. This passionate fire that’s driven St.Louis from going undrafted to winning a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004 has seamlessly translated into his fresh coaching career.
Not even a full season into his coaching career, St.Louis has earned a reputation for instilling a fiery drive into his players. Canadiens fans saw this first hand last season as St. Louis transformed a slumping rookie season by Cole Caufield into one of the best rookie performances in 2021/2022.
Naturally, when Montreal acquired thus far underperforming 2019 3rd overall pick Kirby Dach during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft from Chicago, fans immediately wondered “ Will St. Louis be able to fix Dach?”
Having come from a Hawks team that had Dach playing with future Hockey Hall of Famer Patrick Kane on his wing alongside distinguished NHL captain Jonathan Toews and NHL star Alex DeBrincat in the lineup as well, Dach had the optimal teammates to thrive in the NHL. But with a struggling Hawks team on the decline, and a rushed start to his career, Dach has yet to live up to his 3rd overall status. With Montreal, Dach will likely be paired behind Nick Suzuki on the centreing the second line with shooter Mike Hoffman on his wing, that is assuming Hoffman is still with Montreal by the fall. An important factor to consider with Dach is he can’t play wing, so in order to flourish with the Habs, he’ll have to lineup in the middle.
Besides his initial shortcomings, Dach is a player that can do well in Montreal. As a 6’4 right-handed centreman, he plays a role that the team has coveted for years. While Dach’s stats with his former club don’t immediately wow people with 59 points in 152 career games and a 32.8 faceoff percentage in 2021/2022, it’s important to remember that he’s only 21 and has only played 2.5 years in the NHL.
Yet, there’s been flashes in his game that still alludes to the potential so many scouts saw in 2019. Prior to suffering a wrist injury in December 2020, he was a dominant force during Chicago’s Qualifying round against Edmonton with 4 points in 4 games.
If he’s fully healed and has regained complete mobility in his wrist, pairing him with a potential developmental wonder coach in St.Louis will be the perfect fit.
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