Undeniably Fantastic: The Montreal Canadiens Top Line

When the Montreal Canadiens acquired Kirby Dach from a blockbuster trade in July of 2022, they expected him to be a powerful center. Instead, Dach has offered the ideal balance for the Canadiens as a right winger for their top line, which includes Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and has, so far, left many in awe.

Let's go back a bit. In the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Dach was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with their third overall pick, and he had hoped to be a Blackhawk for many years to come. Things didn't go according to his plan, and he was instead dealt off to the Canadiens in exchange for the No. 13 and No. 66 picks in the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft. 

While on the Blackhawks, Dach put up some impressive numbers. In the 64 games he played during his rookie season, he scored eight goals and dished out 15 assists. However, during his second season, he suffered from what many refer to as a "sophomore slump," and his production dropped off. 

As a result, the Blackhawks loaned Dach to the national junior team. The idea behind moving Dach down was to allow him to develop and overall benefit their young center; however, it only dug the Blackhawks a deeper hole when Dach broke his wrist playing in an exhibition game. After undergoing surgery, which should have halted his season, Dach came back three months later without fully recovering.

The Blackhawks had big expectations for Dach, but with all the setbacks and changes, things took a turn, which is why Dach was made available to the Canadiens, and four months later, we are now left with what we know as the Canadiens' incredible top line.

After numerous fruitless attempts of moving various veteran right wingers onto the line, alongside Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who was aware of Dach’s inadequacy in face-offs, decided to add Dach to the mix as a right winger and let's just say that these three have given him no reason to reverse what has been so successful for them.

The top line for the Montreal Canadiens has been outstanding all season long. In their 21 games, they have amassed some incredible stats, including 28 goals, 34 assists, 157 shots, and 22 blocks, for a total of 64 points. Canadiens games have grown in popularity as must-see events, thanks in large part to this line's spectacular rise to success.

On November 25th, in Dach’s return to the United Center, the Canadiens defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Dach had a sweet response for the Blackhawks faithful, who booed him upon his return when he scored the game-winning goal in the third round of the shootout and mockingly cupped his hand to his ear.  Suzuki and Caufield also scored in the shootout, furthermore solidifying the Canadiens’ top line as top performers.

Given that the Canadiens are now in 18th place in the league, there may be more reason for concern, but it is indisputable that this line has been outstanding thus far. It will undoubtedly be something to watch out for the other amazing things this line can accomplish as the season unfolds.