Kirby Dach, a 21-year-old centre for the Chicago Blackhawks, was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in a shocking NHL draft-night deal, shocking the home crowd at Bell Centre on Thursday night.
Two trades combined to produce the deal. Alexander Romanov, a defenseman, and the 98th overall pick were traded by Montreal to the New York Islanders in exchange for the 13th overall pick in the first round.
After that, they traded Kirby Dach, the third-overall pick in the 2019 draft and a restricted free agent, to the Blackhawks in exchange for the No. 13 pick and the 66th overall pick.
Dach’s third NHL season saw him score 26 points in 70 games for the Blackhawks.
The 6-foot-4 centre’s availability during the Blackhawks’ offseason, which saw them deal winger Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators prior to the draft, caught many by surprise.
However, after trading its own pick to Columbus in the Seth Jones trade from the previous year, Chicago demanded a first-round pick in the 2022 draft. In exchange for DeBrincat, the Blackhawks received the No. 7 overall pick from Ottawa. Dach seemed to be the key to earning a second one.
