With the season about to get rolling, the rumor mill is already working overtime. A few familiar names keep surfacing, and the biggest chatter right now centers on Dylan Larkin, Mark Scheifele, Kirill Marchenko and Kirby Dach.
Dylan Larkin’s trade picture has changed again. Back in June, the former Red Wings captain was said to be willing to waive his no-move clause for just three teams: the Wild, Panthers and Golden Knights. On Friday, Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thought podcast that Larkin has widened that list by four more contenders: the Avalanche, Capitals, Stars and Lightning.
''I think some of the other teams that are there are Colorado, Washington, and I suspect, in case people didn't know them already, Dallas and Tampa. So I don't know how big that list is, but it's bigger than that's been reported. I think it's somewhere around eight," said Friedman.
Friedman also shut down the idea that Montreal had somehow worked its way onto the list, saying Larkin still has no Canadian teams in play.
The Canadiens are still being linked to another big-name center, though. Nick Kypreos reported that Montreal has checked in on Jets veteran Mark Scheifele after coming up short on Larkin. The asking price would be steep, with Kypreos noting it could involve prospect Michael Hage, 23-year-old NHLer Oliver Kapanen, or other pieces, with Kirby Dach also wrapped into the discussion.
"The Canadiens are among the teams asking about Scheifele after failing on Larkin... It would, of course, be a hefty price that could include prospect Michael Hage, or 23-year-old NHLer Oliver Kapanen, among others (Kirby Dach is wrapped up in this too)," wrote Nick Kypreos in his column on Sportsnet.
Scheifele’s resume is already well established: 907 points, including 372 goals and 535 assists, in 961 regular-season games.
Kirill Marchenko has become one of the other major names to watch. When asked whether he wanted to keep playing in Columbus, he kept his answer short.
"I want to play hockey. It's all I can say right now."
That was enough to fuel the belief that he’s ready to move on after four seasons with the Blue Jackets. Friedman and Kypreos have both connected Marchenko to a long list of interested teams, including the Canadiens, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Jets, Bruins, Oilers, Golden Knights and Kraken.
''Montreal, everybody knows about. The Islanders ...
Toronto is really trying to keep their interest secret ... I think Winnipeg, at one point, kinda looked into it.
I heard Boston made an offer at one point. Some people say Vegas.
Some other people say they weren't sure it was Vegas. I have to think Seattle is around this ...," said Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
"Toronto, Edmonton and Montreal seem poised to try and make something work with Columbus [for Marchenko]," wrote Kypreos in his recent column for Sportsnet.
Marchenko has put together 208 points, with 102 goals and 106 assists, in 292 career games for Columbus. And while nothing has been announced, a little social-media sleuthing has only added to the noise: per X page NHL Follow Tracker, Marchenko recently followed Bruins players David Pastrnak and Nikita Zadorov on Instagram.
Then there’s Kirby Dach, whose name has been popping up in Edmonton. Frank Seravalli said the Oilers’ interest in the Canadiens forward is intense, writing that it "borders on drooling" and that Edmonton wants to land him at some point this season.
"The interest in Edmonton borders on drooling; the Oilers are intent on acquiring Dach at some point [this season] ... Dach was GM Stan Bowman’s bet at No. 3 overall in 2019 in Chicago, and Bowman feels only a poor run of injury luck has kept Dach from reaching that potential," wrote Seravalli on casino.org.
Dach signed a one-year extension with Montreal in July 2026 worth $3.6 million AAV. Injuries have limited him to 77 points, with 32 goals and 45 assists, in 154 regular-season games across four seasons with the Canadiens.
In Other News...
Former Canadiens Are Suddenly Fighting For Their NHL Futures
A cluster of familiar names hit waivers on Sept. 25, turning what is usually a routine roster squeeze into a reminder of how quickly NHL careers can shift. Joshua Roy, Jordan Harris, Sean Farrell and Corey Schueneman were among the players exposed, and for Canadiens fans, the list carries extra weight because these are all skaters who had been part of Montreals pipeline or recent roster picture.
Roy, Harris and Farrell had already been moved on from by Montreal earlier this offseason or in recent years, which makes this latest round of roster churn feel less like a surprise than a checkpoint. Add in Marc Del Gaizo and William Trudeau, both of whom were with the Laval Rocket last season and were placed on waivers by the New York Rangers, and the wider picture gets clearer: former Canadiens and recent organization pieces are suddenly fighting to keep their NHL paths alive. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Linked To Kirby Dach As Bigger Roster Questions Loom
The Canadiens roster picture keeps widening beyond Montreal, and Kirby Dach has suddenly become part of that larger conversation. Around the league, teams are watching how contenders and cap-conscious clubs position themselves with the NHLs salary ceiling set to keep climbing, a trend that could reshape how front offices approach player deals in the years ahead.
For Montreal, Dach sits in the middle of a bigger valuation question than just one player or one contract. Interest from outside clubs is only adding to the intrigue around how the Canadiens see his role and how other teams see his upside, especially as trade chatter and contract strategy start to overlap with a cap environment that should look very different by the end of the decade. [Read more 🡒]
Florian Xhekaj Is Making The Canadiens Opening Night Decision Tough
Florian Xhekaj has turned a straightforward roster conversation into one of the more interesting camp questions around the Canadiens. Nick Suzuki and Phillip Danault have both offered strong backing for the young forward, pointing to the way he plays and, in Danaults case, the faceoff ability that can matter so much when coaches start sorting out the bottom of the lineup. Around the organization, the support has been building too, with Kent Hughes and Martin St-Louis also noting his consistency and presence.
For a player trying to force his way onto the opening-night roster, that kind of attention matters, especially this late in camp. Xhekaj has given the Canadiens enough to think about that the decision no longer looks routine, and the preseason finale now looms as the place where he can make one last impression before the final call is made. [Read more 🡒]