The Montreal Canadiens may not be done with their chase for Dylan Larkin.
Frank Seravalli said recently on Frankly Hockey that Montreal could be willing to top the five-piece offer it once put together for Kirill Marchenko if it gives the Canadiens a real shot at landing Larkin. Seravalli pointed back to that earlier proposal - “two current NHL forwards, one current NHL defenseman, a 1st round pick and a future conditional 1st round pick” - and suggested Montreal might push even harder this time because of what Larkin would mean to the roster.
“I think back to the package that Montreal offered for Kirill Marchenko - two current NHL forwards, one current NHL defenseman, a 1st round pick and a future conditional 1st round pick, so a five-piece package that was for Marchenko. Knowing how Larkin would solve their problems, not that it's a huge problem, but they might be more amenable to making this sweeter to make it work.
And I think they would aggressively pursue [towards] making that,” said Seravalli.
The bigger hurdle, though, hasn’t changed. Larkin’s reported desire to stay in the U.S. market remains the sticking point, and the Canadiens still aren’t on his list of acceptable destinations.
Even so, the buzz in Montreal keeps building. Last week at the Bell Centre, Canadiens fans broke into loud “We want Larkin” chants during the game against the Detroit Red Wings, a moment that only turned up the volume on the trade talk. The fan reaction was impossible to miss, and it has kept Montreal in the discussion despite the location issue.
Larkin himself addressed the scene, saying, “It was interesting. I mean, I never would have imagined that in this building and in my career.
But they’re passionate fans. It’s one of the best, the best atmosphere in hockey.
They’re knowledgeable and they love their team. So that’s how I read into it,”
For now, nothing is settled. Larkin’s trade request is still unresolved, and there’s still a path where he remains with the 11-time Stanley Cup winners all season if the Red Wings don’t get the kind of return they want.
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