Dylan Larkin’s market may be broader than it looks, and Darren Dreger says the Detroit Red Wings are still doing their homework on two teams sitting right in front of them: the St. Louis Blues and the Montreal Canadiens.
That’s why Kris Draper’s presence in St. Louis tonight matters. The Red Wings assistant general manager is in the stands for the Canadiens-Blues matchup, and according to Dreger, Detroit is keeping tabs on both clubs as the Dylan Larkin situation develops.
Dreger also suggested the pool of teams interested in Larkin, but not listed among his preferred landing spots, could be bigger than the group he’d actually be willing to join. That leaves Detroit’s pro scouts watching closely for teams that might work their way into the conversation later.
Tonight offers a clean look at both clubs at once. The Blues come in at 5-5-1, while the Canadiens are 6-3-2. Draper’s trip also fits with his recent scouting pattern; he was already at the Bell Centre on October 20 and is back on the road again tonight.
For now, neither Montreal nor St. Louis appears on Larkin’s list of ten approved teams. Larkin, 30, has six points in 10 games, a plus-3 rating and an $8.7 million cap hit.
The Canadiens angle now looks a little different in light of Dreger’s comments. Detroit is simply staying ready in case Larkin changes his mind or widens the list, something Chris Johnston had previously suggested could happen.
In Other News...
Oliver Kapanen Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Change Canadiens Plans
Oliver Kapanen is back from a lower-body injury and suddenly finds himself in a very different spot in the Canadiens lineup. After opening the season on the fourth line, he now has a chance to skate in a far more prominent role, the kind of opportunity that can alter how a team views a young center far beyond a short stretch of games.
Kapanen has yet to post a point in his four appearances this season, but Montreal has long liked the idea of what he could become as a reliable two-way center. With more responsibility now in front of him, the focus shifts from simply getting him back up to speed to whether he can show enough poise and skill to strengthen the clubs long-term plans down the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Sparked A Trade Question Fans Wont Ignore
Adam Engstrom is back in the Canadiens lineup for the game in St. Louis, and the timing has only sharpened the attention around a situation that already had a few eyebrows raised. Arber Xhekaj is sitting out as a healthy scratch, which gives Montreal a different look on the blue line and opens the door to the kind of lineup discussion that tends to get louder when a teams roster decisions intersect with outside interest.
Adding to the intrigue, Red Wings executive Kris Draper was in attendance, a detail that naturally fed speculation about whether Detroit has Engstrom on its radar. There has been no official confirmation of any trade talk or scouting intent, but when a front office figure keeps showing up around a players team, it is the sort of thing fans notice right away, especially when the Canadiens are juggling personnel choices at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Face A Growing Alexander Nikishin Problem This Offseason
The Canadiens still have some lineup questions to sort through before they decide how hard to push in the trade market, and that hesitation makes the rest of the offseason worth watching from Montreals perspective. Internally, the organization has options it can evaluate first, with Luke Mittelstadt, Adam Engstrom, Alexander Zharovsky and Michael Hage among the names in the mix before the front office decides whether it needs to go bigger elsewhere.
Around the league, the defense market is already taking shape in ways that could matter to Montreal. Nashville continues to monitor that space, while Alexander Nikishin has become an increasingly interesting case because not every team sees his value the same way. There is also a broader salary-picture component to the offseason, with Drew Doughty signaling a desire to stay in Los Angeles on a team-friendly deal, even though nothing has been finalized yet. [Read more 🡒]