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2w ago

Canadiens Sign Kirby Dach to One-Year, $3.6 Million Deal

The short-term contract ends a looming arbitration hearing and gives the club time to assess his health and fit.

Montreal Canadiens' Kirby Dach (77) celebrates his goal during third period second round, Game 3, NHL playoff action against the Buffalo Sabres, in Montreal on Sunday, May 10, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
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Overview

  • The Canadiens and Kirby Dach agreed to a one-year contract with a $3.6 million average annual value on July 16, which cancels an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for July 30.
  • Montreal issued a two-way qualifying offer on June 29 that Dach rejected, prompting his arbitration election before the sides reached the short-term settlement.
  • Limited availability has driven the club’s caution: Dach played 37 games in 2025–26 and just 154 of 328 scheduled games since signing in 2022 after a season-ending knee injury early in 2023–24.
  • The team has shifted Dach from a projected second-line centre to a third-line winger role because his faceoff play and fit at centre were judged insufficient.
  • The one-year deal keeps Dach under team control for one more season but leaves his long-term status unresolved, with unrestricted free agency looming after the contract and clear roster pressure if he is still injury-prone.