Canadiens sign Kirby Dach to one-year extension

The Montreal Canadiens announced on Thursday that they have agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension for forward Kirby Dach that will ensure the two camps do not have to go through the arbitration process.

The new extension will cost the Canadiens $3.6 million against the salary cap, and when it expires next summer, Dach will be eligible to hit the unrestricted free agent market on July 1.

Dach just reached the end of a four-year deal with an average annual value of $3.36 million that he signed with Montreal after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks during a draft-day trade in 2022.

The Blackhawks chose Dach with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and the six-foot-four center completed his entry-level contract in the Windy City before being sent to the Habs in exchange for the pick that became Frank Nazar.

In his first year in Montreal, Dach flashed the upside suggested by his draft position by putting up 38 points in 58 games played. But a combination of injuries and a decline in offensive production have meant that Dach has not blossomed into the top-six mainstay the Canadiens were envisioning when making the trade.

The Alberta native was limited to just 37 regular season appearances this season in which he totaled 15 points on eight goals and seven assists. When Montreal made a run to the Eastern Conference Final, Dach put up four goals and an assist for five points in 19 games played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has done well to lock in pieces from last year’s team this summer, not only signing Dach but also locking in emerging goalie Jakub Dobes (three years) and impressive rookie winger Ivan Demidov (eight years) to extensions at more-than-reasonable cap hits.