Kirby Dach and the Montreal Canadiens are heading toward a real deadline this month.
An arbitration hearing is set for July 30 unless Dach and the Canadiens reach a deal before then.
Dach put up 15 points in 37 games this season, including 8 goals, a limited workload compared to his usual role.
He's currently working under a $3,362,500 cap hit, the number both sides are negotiating around before the hearing arrives.
Montreal finished the season 48-24-10 for 106 points, sixth overall, one of the better years in the organization's recent rebuild.
Over his last 10 games, Dach managed just 1 point, a quiet stretch that adds a bit more uncertainty to exactly what his next deal should look like.
Beaudoin flagged the date directly in his post, and the countdown is already spreading fast through Habs circles.
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Why Montreal needs Dach's next deal to stay affordable
Dach also played 19 playoff games for Montreal, adding 4 goals and 5 points, proof he still has real postseason value even in a down regular season.
GM Kent Hughes has to balance Dach's next contract against a payroll that's already carrying real money in Kaiden Guhle's $5,550,000 deal.
Coach Martin St-Louis has leaned on Dach in big moments before, and how healthy he looks entering camp will matter as much as any arbitration number.
Montreal went 24-15-2 at home and 24-9-8 on the road this season, one of the more balanced records in the league this year.
Locking in term now instead of letting this drag would give Montreal cost certainty on a player still just 25 years old.
An arbitration hearing rarely ends a relationship, but it always adds tension neither side really wants heading into a season with real expectations attached.
Nothing is settled yet. July 30 is coming fast, and both sides know exactly what's riding on getting there first.
Should the Canadiens lock up Kirby Dach before it reaches arbitration?
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