Some Traction On Kirby Dach’s New Contract With Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens have been in discussion with Kirby Dach’s camp on an extension, with all signs pointing to a bridge deal.

On the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman touched on the current contractual situation between the Montreal Canadiens and their newly acquired centre.

“I heard some rumours about a potential extension last week, but I was told that was premature,” said Friedman regarding an eventual extension for Dach. “One of the things I heard is that the two sides were talking about a bridge deal, but there are different lengths. Don’t assume two, or three or four; it could be different ideas and concepts along those lines.”

The 21-year-old has yet to sign his new contract with the Montreal Canadiens, but, with the unfortunate news concerning Carey Price‘s health, it’s now just a matter of time before it gets done. There has been much debate as to what his next contract could look like with the Canadiens. With the Canadiens looking to develop the youngster and viewing him as a project for head coach Martin St. Louis to work with this year, it would be surprising to see the Canadiens go for a long-term deal. Montreal Hockey Now has previously reported that it is more likely that the Canadiens will bridge Dach and follow the trend of signing young and unproven players to bridge contracts of two or three years in length.

From the comparables around the league since the start of the flat salary cap, Kirby Dach‘s next deal could likely come in around $1.8M to $2.3M on a two-year deal with the Canadiens, as he looks to prove he can take the next step. Signing Dach to that number would leave the Montreal Canadiens with some more wiggle room to turn around and make some extra moves down the line, such as acquire a right-shot defenceman or make another move regarding a high-salary player.