The Montreal Canadiens made a big splash in front of a jubilant home crowd, making two trades that netted them center Kirby Dach.
Montreal sent defenseman Alexander Romanov and the 98th overall pick to the New York Islanders for the 13th overall pick in the first round. They then flipped the No. 13 pick and the 66th overall pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for Dach.
The Canadiens traded Alexander Romanov, the 66th overall pick and the 98th overall pick for the third overall pick in 2019.
That’s one way of looking at this trade. Here’s another: The Canadiens traded Romanov and those picks for a potential first-line center, something the franchise has been chasing for years. “Potential” being the operative word.
They shot their shot. Romanov is a fan favorite after two seasons who plays solid minutes (20:24) and delivers solid hits. As a restricted free agent, he was due a decent raise. But the Canadiens have a good prospect pipeline for defensemen, so they’re dealing from a position of strength. It also can’t be ignored that in a moment of uncertainty for Russian players, the Canadiens just traded one.
They also still had the 26th overall pick after selecting Juraj Slafkovsky at first overall.
The question then is whether Dach is worthy of this bounty, and it’s a legitimate question. When he was drafted at No. 3 overall in 2019, he was projected as the heir to Jonathan Toews. It hasn’t worked out quite like that yet. His goal-scoring has been a disappointment, with mediocre finishing results paired with a low shot volume. His playmaking took a step back, too, this season, with 17 assists in 70 games. There have been injuries and a roller-coaster of productivity each season.
All of this is to say that the Canadiens dealt from a position of strength to acquire a “maybe.” We respect the hustle, and this grade will obviously look much different if Dach starts to reach his potential. But right now, it’s a smart gamble, nothing more.
After a disappointing non-playoff season, GM Lou Lamoriello wasn’t looking to add a body for the future on Thursday night. He was ready to leverage the 13th overall pick for immediate help.
Romanov is only 22 years old and a restricted free agent that isn’t eligible for an offer sheet. He brings a physical presence to the Islanders blue line and can play significant minutes. His development was solid year over year, going from a healthy scratch at times as a rookie to a player that established himself in the Canadiens’ top four defensemen. Many considered him to be a core piece of their rebuild. But the chance for Montreal to turn him into a potential No. 1 center proved too tempting.
Their loss is the Islanders’ gain. They could have taken an unproven defenseman at No. 13. Instead, they get one with a little work history and one that still has untapped offensive upside.
Obviously as a CSKA Moscow product, there should be some concern about the current state of affairs with Russian players after the invasion of Ukraine. But all things being equal, he’s a solid addition for a general manager who has always built his teams from the back end out.
When Chicago traded Brandon Hagel to the Lightning at the deadline and Alex DeBrincat to the Senators right before the draft, the same question was asked: Aren’t these guys part of the solution rather than part of the problem?
The same was asked when Dach was traded to the Canadiens. But the Blackhawks seemingly lost faith in Dach and decided to no longer play the waiting game to see if he would blossom into the center they hoped he’d become. He was a Stan Bowman pick. This is Kyle Davidson’s team. Just like a coach is never safe when there’s a new top executive, neither are someone else’s draft picks.
So Chicago gets the No. 13 and No 66 picks for a player who is very much still a work in progress. They selected another center, Frank Nazar of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, at No. 13, a player praised for his dynamic skating and solid hands who is about six inches shorter than Dach.
What Dach becomes will ultimately determine this grade. For what he is, and what they got in return, this is about average. But we’re still puzzled about trading a 21-year-old at the dawn of a rebuild.