Kirby Dach of the Montreal Canadiens has undergone surgery on his right knee and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 NHL season, the team announced on February 28, 2025. The surgery, which was successfully performed by Dr. Thierry Pauyo, raises concerns as it marks the second consecutive season Dach has faced such significant injury issues.
Dach, 24, had been dealing with various lower body injuries leading up to the surgery. He last played on February 22, 2025, where he logged 13:43 minutes of ice time during the Canadiens' 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. He was previously listed as day-to-day before the news of his surgery broke. Throughout the season, Dach has participated in 57 games, recording 10 goals and 12 assists, totaling 22 points. He achieved at least one goal in eight of those games and has had multiple assists on two occasions.
This latest injury is particularly troubling, considering Dach suffered severe damage to the same knee last season, missing nearly the entire 2023-24 campaign due to torn ACL and MCL ligaments. The recurrence of knee injuries raises questions about his long-term health and effectiveness on the ice. Previous to this season, Dach had only played two games last year before his injury ended his season prematurely.
Following the announcement, the Canadiens expressed optimism about Dach's recovery, stating, "A full recovery is expected before the start of the 2025-26 season." This leaves a glimmer of hope for both the player and the team as they look toward next season.
The Montreal franchise drafted Dach with the third overall pick during the 2019 NHL Draft, and since then, he has been carving out his role as a dynamic center. Throughout his career, split between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Canadiens, he has recorded 121 points comprising 43 goals and 78 assists over 269 career games. Despite the setbacks due to injuries, the Canadiens believe Dach's talent can still be impactful once he fully recovers.
Currently, the Canadiens sit seventh in the Atlantic Division of the NHL with 61 points—just five points out of the final wild card spot for this year's playoffs. The team has managed to win both games without Dach's presence, which gives them some momentum moving forward. With star players such as Nick Suzuki, who leads the team with 18 goals and 60 points this season, and promising rookie Lane Hutson contributing significantly, the team hopes to maintain their playoff position through the remainder of this challenging season.
The Canadiens’ upcoming schedule sees them facing the Buffalo Sabres twice—first at the KeyBank Center on Saturday before returning home to the Bell Centre on Monday. These games will be pivotal as the Canadiens seek to solidify their playoff chances.
Dach's ability to return to form will be closely monitored, as he has already proven to be instrumental for Montreal when healthy. The continuation of his physical challenges will undoubtedly influence the Canadiens' strategy as they navigate the rest of the season without him.
It is always difficult for any team to lose key players like Dach, particularly so soon after returning from previous injuries. The depth of the Canadiens will be tested as they aim for continued success, emphasizing the importance of having reliable and healthy players down the stretch run of the season.