Dylan Larkin’s name is still out there in the rumor mill, and the latest buzz has the Montreal Canadiens getting pulled into the conversation.
On TSN’s OverDrive, Bryan Hayes made the case that Montreal is the cleanest fit if Larkin does move. Frankie Corrado agreed with the idea, but Hayes said the biggest hurdle is getting Larkin himself on board: “I’ve said all along, Larkin to Montreal is what makes sense,” argued Hayes.
“I totally agree with that,” responded Corrado. “But Larkin’s got to come around to it,” Hayes added.
The appeal, at least on paper, is obvious to Hayes. He pointed to the Canadiens’ center depth and the talent around it, saying the combination of Nick Suzuki and Larkin down the middle would be hard to ignore. “With all the firepower they have on the wing and with all of the prospects they have in the system, that just makes too much sense.”
Money is part of the argument too. Larkin is on a longer-term contract with an $8.7 million AAV, a number Montreal could absorb and explain within its roster structure.
Hayes and Corrado noted that he would arrive as the team’s highest-paid forward, though Noah Dobson already makes more. The gap between Larkin’s number and the Canadiens’ top forwards is not dramatic, with Suzuki at $7.875 million and Cole Caufield at $7.85 million.
If Detroit were to retain $1 million, that would only make the fit easier.
For now, though, the biggest issue remains Larkin’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause. He is believed to be open to a move to the Minnesota Wild, but a possible trade has stalled with the Red Wings still without a general manager.
Larkin does skate with Caufield in the summer, and he already knows other players on the team. Montreal is also viewed as a strong, rising club that could give him a real shot at winning, which was one of the things he wanted.
Still, one fan raised a fair point: a skill-set match is not the same thing as a personality match. And even if Montreal makes sense for Larkin, Detroit would still need a real return in any deal. The question now is what the Canadiens would be willing to give up if the unhappy center ever decides to move.
In Other News...
Kirby Dach Faces A Huge Canadiens Season For His Future
Kirby Dach heads into a pivotal year with the Canadiens, and the stakes around his place in Montreal are hard to miss. After signing a one-year contract for the upcoming season, he has a clear runway to show he can still become the center the organization hoped it was getting, but the recent track record has been uneven enough to keep the pressure on.
Injuries and inconsistent play have slowed Dachs progress over the past few seasons, and the next stretch may end up shaping his future more than any recent one. With free agency looming, he needs a healthy, productive season to put himself in position for a stronger extension or a more appealing market on his next deal. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Look Like A Real Dylan Larkin Landing Spot
Dylan Larkins future has become one of the leagues more awkward offseason storylines, and Montreal has emerged as a team worth watching simply because the field around him has thinned out. The Detroit captain asked for a trade after the 2025-26 season, but no deal has materialized, and he is still expected to be in camp when the next chapter opens. With five seasons left on his contract and a 67-point season still fresh in the mind, the price remains high enough to keep plenty of suitors at arms length.
For the Canadiens, that matters because the usual list of alternatives is getting shorter by the day, and the market is not exactly overflowing with teams ready to make a serious push. Montreal has long been the kind of club that would at least check in on a player of Larkins stature, but the obstacles around the rest of the league have only sharpened the possibility that this story drags on longer than anyone expected. Whether that creates a real opening for the Canadiens or just another round of speculation is still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Mason Lohrei Has One Clear Chance To Secure His Bruins Future
The Canadiens have been floated in a handful of notable rumor cycles lately, but the most intriguing one for Montreal fans is the idea of a long-term center fix. Dylan Larkin has been mentioned as a possible trade target, which tells you where the market is headed around impact players this time of year. For Montreal, it is the kind of speculation that naturally gets tied to roster-building, because any serious upgrade down the middle would reshape how the rest of the lineup is deployed.
There is one obvious catch, and it keeps the discussion in the realm of theory for now. Larkin is not presently open to waiving his no-trade clause for Montreal, which leaves the Canadiens watching from a distance rather than preparing a fit. Still, the fact that their name is in the conversation is a reminder of how aggressive the front office may want to be if a real opportunity ever surfaces. [Read more 🡒]