A surprise player from the Hawks would be available for trade and has the perfect profile for the Canadiens

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Jeff Drouin
May 23, 2022 (9:07 PM)

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According to what Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports, the Chicago Blackhawks may be ready to part with forward Kirby Dach. If this is true, Kent Hughes should definitely call his counterpart Kyle Davidson to find out more.

In his latest Sunday Hockey Notes for the Boston Globe, Dupont, opined that the Boston Bruins should look into what it would take to acquire the center who will be an RFA. The Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron will retire and after losing David Krejci last offseason, the Bruins have no one on their current roster who could be their number one center next season.

"The Blackhawks, for example, need proven lineup pieces and they desperately need a rebranding after their shameful mess in the Kyle Beach deal. As of this writing, they have yet to agree to a contract extension for 21-year-old Kirby Dach, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound center selected number three in the 2019 draft (behind center Jack Hughes and winger Kaapo Kakko).

Dach projects as a No. 1 center, and yes, it's debatable whether he's shown enough (59 points in 152 games) for the Bruins to consider parting with DeBrusk and Carlo, a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman, respectively. However, it does provide an example of the kind of discussion Sweeney might be having right now for a young, high-end center that he otherwise would have no chance of obtaining. It takes assets to acquire assets." - Kevin Paul Dupont

The journalist's analysis could also very well apply to the Canadiens' situation.

As Marco D'Amico reminds us in a recent article, the Canadiens are looking to rebuild their NHL roster at the center position. They will most likely select top NHL draft prospect Shane Wright with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft. The addition of Dach could help Wright's development by not putting unnecessary pressure on him.

The CH finished the season with Nick Suzuki as the first line center, then Jake Evans at 2C, Christian Dvorak at 3C and Ryan Poehling at 4C. Recent rumors mentioned that Dvorak could leave the organization this summer, leaving a spot at center. If Hughes was able to trade him, having Dach at 2nd center would be great while Evans, Poehling and Wright could round out the middle line.

Kent Hughes, however, does not have a package equivalent to Debrusk and Carlo to offer the Blackhawks. The 29th overall pick (the Flames'), a roster player (Mike Hoffman, Josh Anderson, Jeff Petry) and a good prospect could be a good basis for discussion though...