The Flames have reportedly followed up with Montreal on Kirby Dach since camps opened, and the Canadiens have eyed him as a chip to chase Kirill Marchenko.
Frank Seravalli reported that the Flames and Oilers have both kept close tabs on the center this month, with Montreal holding firm on a high asking price.
Calgary's need is obvious. The Flames are "in desperate search for a No. 1 center," Seravalli wrote, and he called Dach the next best option.
He fits their age scheme, and he brings size at 6-foot-4.
The Flames have also shown they like acquiring lottery picks. Chicago took Dach third overall in 2019.
Multiple teams were believed to have offered a second-round pick for him back in June.
So why hasn't Kent Hughes taken one?
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Canadiens could turn Flames interest in Kirby Dach into blockbuster deal
The Canadiens wanted immediate roster help in return, or a way to use him as a chip for a bigger fish like Columbus' Kirill Marchenko.
That name should sound familiar. Elliotte Friedman listed Montreal among the teams interested in Marchenko on Friday.
The Canadiens also sent a message this summer, turning Dach's $4 million qualifying offer into a two-way deal to negotiate that figure down.
It worked. He's carrying a $3,600,000 cap hit this season.
That two-way tactic was pure hardball, and it makes Montreal's high asking price look stranger by the week.
The Canadiens can still afford to wait. His main competition for a roster spot is waiver exempt, so Hughes can let this ride for a few months.
The Canadiens are playing this like a pawnshop owner who knows two customers want the same guitar. He'll let them both stand at the counter a little longer.
Career-wise, the big center has 51 goals in 306 NHL games.
The Flames visit Edmonton tonight, which puts both suitors on the same sheet of ice. The Canadiens play in Ottawa before opening Tuesday in Toronto.
Seravalli wrote that the clock is ticking. With Calgary desperate down the middle and Stan Bowman still believing in the player he drafted in Chicago, Hughes may not get a better window to cash in.
Should the Canadiens use Kirby Dach as a trade chip to land Kirill Marchenko?
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