Canadiens’ Kirby Dach out for season after knee surgery
Montreal Canadiens center Kirby Dach is out for the remainder of the season, the club announced on Friday.
The 24-year-old underwent successful surgery on his right knee and will not be able to return to the lineup. He is expected to return before the start of the 2025-26 season.
In his third NHL campaign with the Canadiens, Dach had not missed a game this season before being held out of Tuesday’s 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. At the time, the club considered him day-to-day.
He last played on Saturday, logging 13:43 minutes of ice time in a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
L’attaquant Kirby Dach a subi une opération au genou droit. L'opération a été réalisée avec succès par le Dr Thierry Pauyo à Montréal et une guérison complète est attendue avant le début de la prochaine saison.
Forward Kirby Dach underwent successful surgery to his right knee.… pic.twitter.com/BRiYQRfpWb
A knee injury isn’t new for him, however. A season ago, he played just two games with ACL and MCL tears holding him out for most of 2023-24. In 57 games this season, he has 10 goals and 22 points.
A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Dach has netted 43 goals and 121 points in the NHL, starting with the Chicago Blackhawks before joining the Canadiens in a 2022 trade, in which Montreal sent Alexander Romanov and the 98th overall pick to acquire the New York Islanders’ 13th overall selection.
Montreal then traded that 13th overall pick and the 66th overall selection to Chicago for Dach.
The Canadiens sit seventh in the NHL’s Atlantic Division with 61 points after 59 games and a record of 28-26-5. They trail the Columbus Blue Jackets by five points for the final Eastern Conference Wildcard spot.
Without Dach, Montreal wil continue to look to leading scorer Nick Suzuki, who has 18 goals and 60 points in 59 games, and rookie blueliner Lane Hutson, with 44 points in as many appearances.
The Canadiens will play the Buffalo Sabres in their next two games, visiting the KeyBank Center on Saturday before welcoming them to the Bell Centre on Monday.