Dylan Larkin’s name is back in the rumor mix, and Montreal is the destination that keeps making the most sense on paper.
That’s the read from TSN’s Bryan Hayes and Frankie Corrado, who both see the Canadiens as a logical fit for the Detroit center. Hayes called Larkin an ideal add, with Corrado agreeing, even though Hayes also noted Larkin would have to “come around” to the idea.
The fit is easy to see: Montreal could line up Nick Suzuki and Larkin as its top two centers, which would give the club real depth through the middle. The money works, too, with Larkin carrying an $8.7 million cap hit alongside Suzuki’s $7.875 million and Cole Caufield’s $7.85 million.
The catch is the one that matters most. Larkin is not currently ready to waive his no-trade clause for Montreal.
So for now, the idea lives more in theory than reality. The question is whether that stance can change, and whether the Canadiens would be willing to pay the price to land him as a No. 2 center.
In Boston, Mason Lohrei is trying to push the trade talk out of the picture and win his job the hard way.
Lohrei spent much of last season as a name floating around in trade chatter, including reports that the Bruins had included him in a proposal for Rasmus Andersson before Calgary eventually sent the defenseman to Vegas. His Boston future stayed uncertain into the offseason, especially after he played in only three of the Bruins’ six playoff games.
But now the focus appears to be shifting. The 25-year-old defenseman told The Boston Globe that he is looking forward to the challenge of earning a full-time roster spot this season.
That doesn’t mean the speculation is gone for good. Lohrei is still a player to monitor if Boston decides it needs to swing for a major upgrade at center down the line. For now, though, the Bruins are expected to give him a chance to prove he belongs in the lineup every night.
Out in Minnesota, the Quinn Hughes noise is being swatted away just as fast as it surfaced.
After a heated exchange and a jab at the lack of beat reporters in New Jersey, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported that league sources are “emphatically” denying any trade discussions involving Hughes and the Devils. Russo wrote that the Wild have not engaged New Jersey - or any other team - in talks for the star defenseman.
“As the Minnesota Wild continue extension talks with Quinn Hughes, league sources emphatically shot down reports that the Wild have engaged the New Jersey Devils - or any team - in trade talks regarding the superstar defenseman. One source, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations that aren’t public, went as far as to tell The Athletic on Tuesday that the rumors are “bulls-,” “made up” and “invented BS by bloggers.”
Russo added that Minnesota is still in extension discussions with Hughes’ agent, Pat Brisson, and remains confident a deal can be reached before the regular season. Hughes is entering the final year of his six-year, $7.85 million contract and could hit unrestricted free agency next summer. The biggest sticking point may be term, with Minnesota favoring an eight-year deal while Hughes’ side could prefer something in the three- to five-year range.
And in Vancouver, Brock Boeser is another name worth watching if the rebuild keeps rolling.
TSN’s Travis Yost believes the 29-year-old winger remains better than what his recent numbers over the past two seasons suggest. Boeser is entering the second season of a seven-year contract with a $7.25 million annual cap hit, and he also holds a full no-movement clause.
That means any move would come down to one thing: whether Boeser is willing to leave Vancouver. If the rebuild drags on longer than expected, he could eventually decide his future belongs somewhere else.
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 🡒]
Larkin Trade Rumors Just Hit A Huge Red Wings Roadblock
The Dylan Larkin chatter has started to drift beyond Detroit, and Montreal has surfaced as a possible landing spot as the Red Wings work through a front-office void that has slowed any real movement. Bryan Hayes and Frankie Corrado of TSN pointed to the Canadiens as a logical fit, noting both the way Larkin could slot into the roster and the contract factors that would have to be sorted out if the idea ever gained traction.
For Montreal, the interest is easy to understand. Larkin is the kind of center who would fit into what the Canadiens are trying to build, and the uncertainty around Detroit only adds another layer to a rumor mill that is already moving fast. The problem is that none of it matters much unless the situation gets past the earliest hurdle, and for now there is still a key piece of approval missing from the player side. [Read more 🡒]