A Dylan Larkin trade to Montreal can sound tidy in theory. On NHL Network, former NHL forwards Mike Johnson and Michael Rupp kicked around the idea of what comes next for the Detroit Red Wings captain, and Johnson landed on the Canadiens as the ideal fit.
“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Johnson said. “Detroit … would like to get this done sooner rather than later.
“You look at Montreal and how stacked they are for the next 4-5 years-legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. And oh yeah, they have a boatload of prospects that they can send back the other way, that can help the Red Wings.”
Johnson pointed to Michigan Wolverines center Michael Hage, Montreal’s 2024 first-round pick, as the kind of centerpiece that could anchor a deal. He also imagined the Canadiens building around a dangerous middle with Nick Suzuki and Larkin as a one-two punch.
But the neat basketball-card version of this idea runs straight into reality. Johnson said the biggest issue himself: “Larkin, he does have a say,” Johnson said. “He wants to be able to determine where he wants to play.”
That matters a lot here. Larkin’s contract carries a full no-movement clause, and he has already handed the Red Wings a list of places he’d be willing to go. Depending on which rumor you believe, that list includes the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and maybe the Dallas Stars.
Montreal is not on it. Canada, in general, is not where he wants to land.
The broader picture only reinforces that point. Larkin is one of five 2026 U.S.
Olympians who recently asked for a trade. Of the three who have already been moved - Matthew Tkachuk (Calgary), Quinn Hughes (Vancouver), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa) - all got out of Canada.
Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck is now trying to do the same.
So the trend is pretty clear, and Larkin appears to be following it.
There’s also the simple division-rival issue. If Detroit is going to move its captain, does it really want to send him to an Atlantic Division opponent and watch him show up against the Red Wings multiple times every season?
That’s why the Montreal idea can make sense on paper and still go nowhere in practice. The fit may look clean from the outside, but Larkin to the Canadiens isn’t happening.
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