Dylan Larkin’s name is back in the rumor mill, and this time Montreal Canadiens fans have a fresh reason to pay attention.
TSN’s Bryan Hayes has floated the idea that a move to Montreal would make a lot of sense for the Detroit Red Wings center, a development that lands right in the middle of the kind of major swing Canadiens supporters have been waiting for from Kent Hughes.
The fit is easy to see on paper. Montreal has long needed more help down the middle behind Nick Suzuki, and that hole has been impossible to ignore for months. Larkin, a 30-year-old center under contract for five more years at $8.7 million per season, just put up 67 points, including 34 goals, for a Red Wings team that finished 16th in the overall standings.
He also brought a finishing touch that stands out: nine game-winning goals last season.
There’s another layer here, too. If Montreal were to land him, Larkin would join Ivan Demidov and give the Canadiens a dangerous second line, the kind of setup that could change the look of the forward group in a hurry.
But the biggest hurdle remains the same one that always comes with a player in this spot: Larkin’s no-trade clause. Without his approval, nothing moves.
Still, Montreal does have a couple of things going for it. Cole Caufield’s friendship with Larkin could matter, and so could Larkin’s desire to win as soon as possible.
Hayes said that bringing in a player like Larkin would instantly push the Canadiens into serious Stanley Cup contender territory for years.
The problem for Montreal is that the same logic was already in play this summer, and nothing came of it. That leaves one obvious question hanging over the whole situation: does Larkin actually view Montreal as part of his plans?
Could that change as training camp gets closer?
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Sam Montembeault Decision Worth Watching
With the Canadiens carrying more than enough goaltending depth to at least entertain the idea of a move, Sam Montembeault has quietly become a name worth monitoring. Montreal has spent enough time building up its crease to create options, and that alone makes the veteran netminder a different kind of asset than he might have been a year ago. For a team that is still sorting out its bigger picture, it is the sort of situation that can turn a stable position into a trade chip if the right market opens.
Kent Hughes also does not usually operate in the most obvious lanes when he is looking for value, which matters here because a simple goalie-for-pick deal may not be the path he prefers. If Montreal decides Montembeault belongs in play, the return could hinge on a more creative type of transaction, the kind that comes with a player who needs a reset or a contract another club wants to move. The broader goalie market could end up shaping how far that idea goes, and the Canadiens will be watching closely to see whether the right opening ever appears. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Reopen Practice But Dach Questions Are Only Growing
After a one-day closed-door session, the Canadiens were back in front of the public on the ice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, and the usual practice rhythm returned with it. Fans in attendance got a look at the group as it skated, with Kirby Dach among the players spotted during the open session, a small but notable sight for anyone following the clubs day-to-day health and lineup picture.
The brief shutdown has only added to the curiosity around why the team chose to shut things down in the first place. Montreal has not offered an official explanation for the one-day closed-door practice, leaving the move open to interpretation and keeping attention fixed on the details that matter most to a team that is already being watched closely every time it hits the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have More Urgency To Get Arber Xhekaj Signed
Kaiden Guhles recent absence from practice has given the Canadiens another reason to be uneasy as training camp approaches, especially after he was spotted in a tracksuit and then missed the last two sessions in Brossard. Any uncertainty around a young defenseman who has already become a key part of the blue line tends to ripple quickly through the rest of the roster picture, and in Montreal it has only sharpened the focus on the teams defensive depth.
It also adds a little more urgency to Kent Hughes work with Arber Xhekaj, who remains unsigned even while continuing to train with the club. The Canadiens have been carrying on as if the situation will sort itself out, but if Guhle is slowed early in the season, the need for reliable bodies on defense becomes harder to ignore and makes Xhekajs unresolved contract situation loom a lot larger. [Read more 🡒]