Patrick Kane Admits Trading Kirby Dach was a Big Mistake

The Chicago Blackhawks had quite the offseason heading into the 2022-23 campaign. GM Kyle Davidson went full tank mode, as he neglected to sign the club's biggest restricted free agents - Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat, and Kirby Dach.

Chicago never submitted a qualifying offer to Strome (25), walking him right to the free agent market, and they traded DeBrincat (25) and Dach (22) for the combined haul of:

- 2022 7th Overall Pick (D Kevin Korchinski)
- 2022 13th Overall Pick (C Frank Nazar III)
- 2022 39th Overall Pick (C Paul Ludwinski
- 2022 66th Overall Pick (F Gavin Hayes)
- 2024 3rd Round Pick

The jury is still out on whether or not that trade benefits Chicago in any tangible way, as all four players have yet to graduate to the professional level. Still, DeBrincat is a bonafide star in the NHL, and Dach has a bright career ahead of him.

Everyone knew about DeBrincat. 307 points in 368 games before going to Ottawa (.83 points/game), the guy can play regardless of his 5'7'' frame. Dach's future wasn't quite as certain, but he is also way earlier in his development.

Any questions about Dach's game, however, have been largely washed away, as the 22-year old pivot eclipsed career highs in his first season with the Canadiens, totaling 12g-23a-35p in 54 games thus far. In addition to piling up points, he has proven ready to drop the gloves and do the dirty work as well.

One man who isn't surprised at all with Dach's play is ex-teammate Patrick Kane, who believes the Blackhawks jumped the gun by trading their former 3rd overall pick. In a recent interview, Kane voiced strong admiration of Dach's play and questioned the club's methods in his development.

Upon being traded to Montreal, Dach signed a 4-year, $13.45 million contract with the Canadiens. A solid bridge deal for a bright young player, this entire piece of business was a master stroke for GM Kent Hughes.

Dach has slotted in perfectly for Montreal, playing more minutes than anyone not named Nick Suzuki. The Habs still have a ways to go with their group being so young, but their core players - Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, and the like - have a strong collective future ahead of them.

This isn't the first time that Chicago let a quality player go prematurely. Phillip Danault, Teuvo Teravainen, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Hartman, Nick Schmaltz, and now DeBrincat and Dach.

Maybe if you draft quality players, you ought to - I don't know - keep them around?

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