Kirby Dach

Selected by Chicago with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Dach never quite clicked with the Blackhawks, and after being traded to Montreal, he's shown promise but has been held back due to injuries. He played in only two games last season before tearing his right ACL and MCL, and that's after he was limited to 58 appearances in 2022-23. Combine that with 2020-21 when he played in just 18 contests, and a worrying pattern has emerged. Under ideal circumstances, the 23-year-old has plenty of potential, but it's hard to feel confident about his prospects between his past on-ice struggles and his significant injury history.

Dach made a strong first impression with the Canadiens in 2022-23 with 14 goals and 38 points in 58 games after being acquired from the Blackhawks. The 22-year-old forward also finished second on Montreal with 16 power-play points. He fit in nicely alongside first-line players Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Dach ran into injury problems during the second half of the season, but he should be ready for training camp. He will be expected to continue to progress this campaign and could flirt with the 50-point mark this year if he maintains his spots on the top line and the first power-play unit.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Dach played 70 games for Chicago a season ago, managing a dismal nine goals and 26 points. There's no doubt he had a tough year, but at age 21, Dach would still seem to be a long-term building block for the franchise. Instead, the Blackhawks continue their scorched-earth rebuild, moving Dach to Montreal at the draft for a pair of picks. He should be in a far more stable situation with his new club, making Dach a worthy late-round dart throw from a fantasy perspective for those hoping to potentially hit a home run with one of their final picks.

Dach's season was derailed by a fractured wrist suffered in a World Junior exhibition game right before Christmas. The injury required surgery and Dach ended up missing almost exactly three months as a result. Dach played well upon his return, posting 10 points in 18 games, but it was his power-play usage that really stood out. Dach saw 3:20 worth of ice time per game with the man advantage, a massive number that almost certainly would have led to a boatload of fantasy production from the No. 3 overall pick in 2019. However, keep in mind the Blackhawks are getting Jonathan Toews back and have traded for Tyler Johnson, so the roles of certain players might change. Regardless, Dach is worthy of a late-round selection in all formats.

Dach held his own as an 18-year-old rookie last season, notching eight goals, 15 helpers, 101 shots on net and three power-play points while primarily skating in a bottom-six role. The third overall pick from the 2019 draft was poised to enter the 2020-21 campaign as a bigger, stronger and more confident version of himself, but he suffered a broken wrist that required surgery while playing an exhibition game with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship tournament, and is now expected to be sidelined for most if not all of the upcoming shortened season. He'll make for an intriguing free-agent add if he's able to return for the Blackhawks' last handful of games, but he should be left on the board on draft day.

When the Blackhawks selected Dach with the third overall pick in this year's draft, it was a bit of a surprise, as many pundits had Chicago taking defenseman Bowen Byram, who ultimately went to the Avalanche fourth overall. However, the Blackhawks' will remain in win-now mode as long as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are still in their primes, and Dach appears to be the more NHL-ready player out of the two. General manager Stan Bowman has already publicly stated that Dach will get every opportunity to make the big club's roster out of training camp, and it appears as though he'll have a great chance to do so, and could step into a third-line role immediately in 2019-20. The 18-year-old pivot has great size at 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds, which should allow him to adjust to the physical nature of the NHL far faster than most prospects his age. Dach is a must-own player in dynasty settings, but if he's able to secure a spot on the Blackhawks' roster this season, he'll be worth a late-round draft pick in yearly leagues, as well.