Jeff Gorton’s reported trip to Detroit has only added fuel to a trade market that already had the Canadiens tied to two prominent Red Wings names.
According to a source who said they shared a flight with the Montreal executive yesterday, Gorton was on the way to Detroit just as speculation around Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson started to intensify. The timing is what makes the report stand out, especially with Montreal already connected to both players.
That said, a flight is just a flight. No one has confirmed what brought Gorton to Detroit, and there’s still no evidence he met with Red Wings officials.
The rumors picked up another layer Friday when David Pagnotta reported that Michael Misa’s name has come up in connection with Edvinsson, with Detroit reportedly seeking more than Misa in return.
Edvinsson is the more obvious fit for Montreal on paper. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was drafted sixth overall in 2021 and has 60 points in 175 NHL games.
He has not played this season and remains out indefinitely because of a reported contract dispute. For the Canadiens, a young defenseman with that kind of profile would be a major addition to the blue line.
Larkin brings a different kind of intrigue. Elliotte Friedman reported Thursday that Detroit’s captain could reconsider his trade list, and Montreal was among the teams reportedly in the mix along with Buffalo, St.
Louis and Boston. The 30-year-old center has 278 goals in 818 career games and is signed through 2030-31.
Of course, Detroit’s record makes any major move harder to read. The Red Wings are 7-7-3 and have dropped consecutive games, including Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Vegas. Dealing away their captain and a top-four defenseman would be a massive shift.
Montreal, on the other hand, can afford to be patient. The Canadiens are 10-3-3 with 23 points and have won seven of their last ten.
Their 5-4 overtime win over Utah on Thursday only reinforced that position, giving Martin St. Louis a team that can compete while Kent Hughes and Gorton take their time.
As HFTV reported, the flight claim is real enough to get people talking. It just doesn’t prove anything yet.
With Montreal set to face Toronto and Detroit visiting Colorado tonight, the speculation isn’t going away anytime soon.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Tough Call On This Defense Trade Target
The market for Simon Edvinsson has been moving for about a week now, and the Detroit Red Wings are making it clear they are not treating this as a simple one-for-one swap. Michael Misa, the 2025 second-overall pick, is part of the conversation with the San Jose Sharks, but Detroit is reportedly looking for additional assets on top of that, which tells you how highly it values the young defenseman and how difficult any deal is going to be to complete.
For the Canadiens, that matters because Edvinsson has emerged as a name worth watching on their blue line wish list, even if the price tag is already shaping up as a major obstacle. Montreal has been linked to the talks, but with Detroit pushing for more than a headline piece in return, the Canadiens may have to decide whether this is the kind of swing worth taking or the kind of pursuit that quickly becomes too rich to justify. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Draft Debate Around Jacob Fowler Looks Even Bigger Now
The Canadiens 2023 draft room had a real goalie decision on its hands, and the choice has only aged better for Montreal. Jacob Fowler was the pick in the third round, and since then he has moved quickly into the kind of prospect status teams hope to find when they spend a mid-round selection on a goalie. He has already become Montreals starting goaltender and picked up some notable NHL accolades along the way, which is exactly why that draft debate still matters now.
Billy Ryan was one of the voices pushing hard for Fowler, and the organization is feeling the benefit of that conviction. The name on the other side of the discussion was Adam Gajan, who went to Chicago as the first goalie taken that year but has spent most of his time in lower leagues and has not reached the NHL yet. For Montreal, it is a reminder that goalie evaluations can swing a lot on one rooms judgment, and this one is looking like a win. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face One Big Kucherov Question Fans Wont Ignore
Nikita Kucherovs request for a trade out of Tampa Bay has instantly become one of the most intriguing names on the market, and the timing only adds to the intrigue with the star winger entering the final year of his contract. For Montreal, the mere mention of his availability is enough to get attention, even if the Canadiens are only one of several teams believed to be in the mix as the situation develops.
The Lightning still control the process, which means this is far from a straight line to any one destination, and the race could quickly turn into a competition among multiple suitors. David Pagnotta has pointed to the Rangers, Blackhawks and Kraken as the teams most likely to drive the pursuit, but Montreal remains part of the conversation as fans wait to see whether the Canadiens can realistically stay in it if the bidding gets serious. [Read more 🡒]