Sean Monahan and Kirby Dach Showing Early Value

MONTREAL– It’s only been two games, but the new additions to the Montreal Canadiens roster have quickly established a positive impact on the underlying numbers.

Playing on the same line alongside Mike Hoffman, both Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan have emerged as the team leaders in several crucial statistical categories.

During their shifts, the Canadiens have controlled 67 percent of the shots, to the tune of 28 shots for and 14 against. They’ve also controlled over 65 percent of the scoring chances, as well as 80 percent of the high-danger scoring chances.

The result? Monahan and Dach lead all forwards on the team with 69 percent of the expected goals (xGF%).

Le jour de sa fête!

Sean Monahan on his birthday!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/kJ71S27z3J

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 13, 2022

It’s still quite early in the season, and their line has been given an abundance of offensive zone starts, with almost 60 percent of their shift starts coming in the offensive zone.

But even when they start their shifts on the fly, the Dach-Monahan combination has created a bevy of controlled entries, which, in turn, has led to a significant uptick in shots on net for both players, and given their affinity for driving the net, it’s clear they prefer generating high-danger chances, as evidenced by their event maps against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the inaugural game of the season.

It’s also worth noting they’ve alternated centre duties throughout the two games, but it must be said Monahan has shown he’s much better suited at taking faceoffs, at least for the time being. Monahan has won 68 percent of his faceoffs, whereas Dach is yet to win one, however, he’s had much fewer opportunities than his linemate.

Regardless of who is used down the middle, the immediate impact shown by both players bodes quite well for the Montreal Canadiens, both when it comes to developing Dach’s potential, as well as re-establishing Monahan’s value.

It’s worth noting Monahan’s contract expires this summer, making him an interesting deadline target for contending teams.

Of course, we’re dealing with a very small sample size and the numbers are at risk of changing in a hurry, but there’s no denying both Monahan and Dach have quickly established their potential value to the Montreal Canadiens.

(Statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via NaturalStatTrick)