With the NHL trade deadline past, the Oilers are now poised to make a run at a playoff spot. With that playoff run in mind, general manager Stan Bowman brought in some reinforcements for the Edmonton Oilers’ bottom-six. These reinforcements came in the form of Jason Dickinson and Colten Dach.
With Dach only being twenty-three, the Canadian forward still falls into the prospect category, and was in fact ranked as the 10th best prospect in the Chicago Blackhawks pipeline entering this season.
So let us take a look at everything Colton Dach brings to the Oilers’ forward core this season.
The Colton-Context
The 6’04 centerman comes from a hockey-oriented family where his dad, sister, and brother have played at the college level or higher. The 2003-born Dach is the younger brother of 2019 third overall pick Kirby Dach.
Dach was drafted sixth overall in the 2018 WHL draft and made his debut for the Saskatoon Blades during the 2019-2020 season. Eventually, the Fort Saskatchewan product attracted NHL draft interest after posting 20 points in 20 games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020-2021 season.
This NHL interest culminated in Dach being selected in the second round, 62nd overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL draft. After a trade to Kelowna in September of 2021, and a 2023 trade to Seattle, Dach would go on to post 0.93 PPG across his WHL career.
Dach also represented Team Canada at the 2022–2023 WJC.
The centerman spent the previous two seasons split between the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate, the Rockford Icehogs. Entering the 2025-2026 campaign, Dach made the Blackhawks out of training camp and played in a secondary checking role, averaging 11:54 of TOI, before his trade to the Oilers.
What Type of Game Does Dach Play?
Dach plays a power-forward game with heavy physicality, a decent compete level, and adequate puck skills. All of these elements combine to make him a pest to play against, while simultaneously allowing the 6’04 center to move offensive plays forward and absorb pressure effectively.
Areas where Dach needs improvement include his limited hockey sense, skating, and shot selection. The forward’s hockey sense often creates straightforward plays, while mobility/skating issues reduce the effectiveness of his transitional play, and poorer shot selection harms his chance generation.
What does Dach Do Well?
Physicality
Physicality is one of the former second-rounder’s shining qualities as Dach makes the most of his 6’04 frame and muscle mass in every single play he is involved in. This is exemplified offensively by his ability to secure inside positioning, fight through contact, and protect pucks (through stability and handling).
This physicality is amplified by the former Blackhawk’s ability to be a quality net-front screen, where his willingness to battle, consistent pressure absorption, and gritty play support make him an asset in the offensive zone.
This willingness to be a net-front screen also explains Dach’s 0:59 of power-play time per game.
Defensively, the WHL alumnus is an absolute wrecking ball on ice. Dach always finishes checks, has an effective hitting form, and exerts heavy physical and defensive pressure that mitigates an opponent’s pace and speed. The 23-year-old averages 2.3 hits per game, while only receiving 0.48.
This physical stability in his game allows him to efficiently disrupt breakouts and be a bruiser of a forward to play against. This same physical stability offensively helps Dach retain puck possession down low, be a net-front nuisance, and extend offensive zone time and cycle support.
Compete Level
Dach shows high play engagement, a budding motor, and consistent pace management through stick-lifts and tie-ups. All three of these elements demonstrate the 2021 second-rounder’s overwhelming commitment every single shift and reliable positional responsibility.
The 2021 draftee’s motor is slightly hindered by skating. Regardless, Dach’s motor still proves effective with his never-say-quit attitude of consistent intensity, hustle, and pressure exertion, making the forward an effective checking presence at the NHL level.
This compete level also blends nicely with his physicality to outline his good underlying hard-skill habits and attention to detail. This attention to detail is especially noticeable in Dach’s 10 puck battles per game, high-frequency board play, and evident priority for pressure relief.
Puck Skills
Dach is not the most innovative handler, but does move plays forward through conservative puck management that makes no-risky plays, has puck protection fundamentals, control, and stable option identification. This conservative handling is one of the reasons Dach generates 2.6 entries a game.
Dach’s net-front positioning, hand-eye coordination, and in-tight control make him a threat to deflect pucks in, which could amplify his usage as it did with Zach Hyman.
The Alberta-born product’s passing is also consistent with basic-on-ice vision, stable 85% accuracy, and smooth puck placement. These elements allow Dach to routinely push plays forward and be a cog in the cycle support machine.
Dach is a key play supporter as he rarely puts passes into difficult areas for his teammates, with his smooth puck management that avoids risk. He generates only 0.88 scoring chances per game.
What are some Areas of Improvement?
Skating
Dach’s skating projects slightly below NHL average with a more rigid stride, clunky stride recovery, and a lower rate of acceleration. Dach is by no means a burner or solo-rush threat at the NHL level.
Further compounding these mobility issues is a lack of clean edgework, agility, and a low rate of crossover-integration in transitional play.
Dach compensates for these skating shortcomings by using his space intelligently, with conservative positioning, limited overt aggression, and a consistent motor every shift.
Additionally, the forward uses his lack of footspeed to his advantage in some shifts as a late trailer on offensive opportunities, or to angle effectively and then disrupt point attackers.
Hockey Sense
Dach does not play a dumb game of hockey, but rather just a basic, straightforward one. The Blades alumnus has limited play creation in terms of hockey IQ (play anticipation and basic play reading are noticeably absent), a low scan frequency, and delays in play processing/awareness.
This makes Dach’s play creation often one-and-done sequences with a simple shot or a basic pass. These chances are low-risk and best exemplified by a 6% scoring-chance conversion rate. Additionally, Dach’s expected goals-for-rate sits at 0.12.
This limited finishing demonstrates issues with both hockey sense and poor shot selection. Although Dach’s shooting mechanics, release, and shot power are adequate for the NHL level, the young forward only takes 1.82 shots per game, which are previously mentioned low-danger opportunities.
What Should the Oilers Expect out of the 23-Year Old Forward?
Dach definitely has a role at the NHL level for the Edmonton Oilers. The young forward projects as a bottom-6 hard-nosed checking forward that offences hate to play against this season. Dach could also see special teams usage in the event of an injury.
Ironically, this hard-skill role is the exact type of player that the Oilers have been looking for with the call-ups of Clattenburg and Samanski earlier in the season.
With the Canadian’s age taken into account, further growth in skating, puck skills, and hockey sense could project Dach as high as a top-9 forward for the Oilers in the near future.
NHL Projection: Top 9 Checking line forward if everything goes right over the next season or two.
Do you like the Oilers trading for Dach and Dickinson? Where do you think Dach fits into the Oilers lineup? Let us know in the comments below.
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