The Detroit Red Wings are getting more serious about the possibility of moving Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson, and the Montreal Canadiens are still very much in the picture.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the chatter around a deal has moved beyond casual speculation. The tone around Detroit’s thinking has changed, and there’s a real sense that momentum is building toward something concrete. It’s not a completed move, but it no longer sounds like the kind of talk that fades away after a few days.
That shift has only made the Canadiens’ involvement more intriguing. There is reason to believe Kent Hughes and Montreal could be part of the ongoing discussions, and Kris Draper attending three of the Canadiens’ last four games has only added to the speculation around what’s being explored.
Larkin’s situation is especially notable. The 30-year-old has six points in 10 games this season and carries a plus-3 rating.
His contract, worth $8.7 million, runs through 2031. Helene St.
James reported that Montreal still is not on his 10-team list, though Chris Johnston has recently said that could change quickly.
Edvinsson is drawing plenty of attention too. Pierre LeBrun said as many as 10 teams are interested in him, including San Jose and Boston.
For Montreal, the center issue remains front and center. The Canadiens are 7-3-2, but with Nick Suzuki sidelined by injury, the need down the middle is still a major concern.
Nothing has been finalized, and both players still hold sway over where this goes. Larkin controls his destination, and Edvinsson is not backing down either. But after weeks of rumors, this now feels like a situation that could break soon.
In Other News...
Canadiens May Have Found Their Goalie Of The Future Early
Jacob Fowlers first stretch in Montreal has given the Canadiens plenty to think about, and not just because they appear to have landed a goalie with real upside in the 2023 NHL Draft. Taken sixth among the goalies selected that year, Fowler has quickly been handed the starting role, and the early returns have made him look like a possible bargain compared with the five netminders chosen ahead of him, none of whom have made an NHL impact yet.
The encouraging start is hard to ignore, even if the sample is still tiny. Seven games is nowhere near enough to crown a long-term answer in goal, but Fowler has already done enough to put himself on the radar as a potential future backbone for the Canadiens, which is exactly the kind of development they hoped to see when they took a swing on him. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Keep Getting Linked To A Blues Trade Worth Watching
David Reinbacher is still developing in the AHL even as multiple NHL teams have reportedly shown interest, which only adds to the sense that Montreal has some intriguing trade assets in play. At the same time, one name that keeps surfacing as a possible target for the Canadiens is Dalibor Dvorsky, the young St. Louis forward whose long-term fit with the Blues has become a little less certain.
Montreal and St. Louis have already done business before, so the idea of another deal between them does not feel far-fetched. If the Canadiens are looking for a way to leverage their prospect depth, and the Blues are weighing their own roster logjam, this is the kind of crossover that could make sense for both sides, even if the specifics remain very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Goalie Crunch Fans Cant Ignore
The Canadiens have leaned on rookie Jacob Fowler heavily this season while Jakub Dobes tries to find his game again, and the team is heading toward an even tighter squeeze in goal with Sam Montembeault expected back from injury in mid-November. It is the kind of roster wrinkle that can change quickly, especially when a young goalie is being asked to carry more than originally planned and an established veteran is nearing a return.
For now, Montreal appears content to let the situation play out rather than force a move before it has to. The challenge is obvious: once Montembeault is healthy, the Canadiens will have three goalies in the mix, and the front office will have to decide whether patience is the better play or whether the right offer changes everything. [Read more 🡒]