Montreal Canadiens Could Regret Paying The Price For Dylan Larkin As Alternatives Emerge

Danila Yurov skating for the Minnesota Wild amid trade talks© Getty via AFP

The Dylan Larkin saga drags on, and Montreal is feeling the pressure. Larkin submitted a 10-team trade list to the Detroit Red Wings, and the Canadiens were not on it. Yet Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN that Montreal remains interested in Larkin if he ever changes his mind, adding that “there are people in Larkin's camp that also think Montreal is a decent fit, but it's not up to them. It's up to Dylan Larkin.” Meanwhile, the price keeps climbing, alternatives are quietly surfacing, and the Canadiens' internal depth has held up better than expected.

Larkin Trade Comes With Too Many Conditions Montreal Shouldn't Accept

Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, suggested a possible workaround: “Montreal and Detroit would have to agree on a trade, and then Detroit would have to go to Larkin.” That reverse-engineering approach sounds clever until you consider what it actually involves. Detroit holds all the cards. The Red Wings carry no urgency, given Larkin's $8.7 million cap hit runs through 2031.

Forcing a trade on a player who didn't list you is a gamble. Even if Montreal assembles a strong package, there's no guarantee Larkin commits long-term to a city he actively bypassed. The Canadiens risk gutting their prospect pool for a player who may never be fully bought in. That's a bad deal before a single puck drops.

And then there's the cost. The reported asking price is substantial, and Montreal still needs to convince Larkin that it is a destination he would consider. Kent Hughes would likely have to put Michael Hage, one of the most promising prospects in the organisation, on the table. That's an enormous ask for a player who excluded you from his preferred list.

Younger Centres Offer Montreal a Smarter Path Forward

Shane Wright and Danila Yurov represent the kind of younger centre the Canadiens should be considering if the Larkin situation falls apart. Wright landed in Nashville after the Kraken moved him in a 1-for-1 deal involving former first-rounder Matthew Wood. He hasn't fully delivered on his draft pedigree yet, but at 22, there's still runway. He fits the age group of Montreal's core and could continue developing alongside Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov.

Yurov is a different case. The Minnesota Wild forward has been discussed internally as a major piece in Minnesota's pursuit of Larkin. That tells you everything about his value. The Wild wouldn't throw him into a Larkin package if they didn't think he was worth protecting.

Neither player would provide Larkin's immediate production, but both could offer a longer-term fit with Montreal's emerging core without costing Hage or a first-round pick in the process. More importantly, the Canadiens don't need to rush. Jake Evans posted two goals and three assists while winning 55.3 per cent of his faceoffs during Suzuki's five-game absence, and the team won five consecutive games in that stretch. That kind of depth play buys Hughes time. Montreal can afford to let the market come to them.