The real reason a Dylan Larkin trade for the Canadiens is not possible right now
The Montreal Canadiens are still searching for a center to lead their second line, and on paper, Detroit Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin is a perfect fit. He made it clear that he wants out of Detroit after publicly requesting a trade earlier this summer.
Unfortunately, he has a no-movement clause that he would need to waive for any team that wants to trade for him, and that list is very small, with only three teams, none of which are the Montreal Canadiens. However, that has not stopped the rumors from picking up and it makes a lot of sense.
He is an experienced player who has produced and has five more seasons left on his contract. Larkin has over 800 NHL career games, with 643 points and a faceoff win percentage of 52.8%. He has gone five straight seasons with 67 or more points.
As good a fit as Larkin would be, this is not a trade that will happen any time soon, even if Larkin agrees to a trade to Montreal. The reason is that the Red Wings don’t have a general manager right now. Longtime executive Steve Yzerman stepped down in July, and the team has been conducting a search for his replacement since.
Montreal Canadiens should not be waiting around for the Red Wings’ to hire their next general manager
In any interview the Red Wings conduct, the first topic has to be Dylan Larkin, and the team would probably want to hear some initial thoughts.
Detroit currently owns the longest playoff drought in the NHL after the Sabres reached the playoffs last season. No one involved with the franchise wants a prolonged rebuild, and to avoid that, the Red Wings would need to find a way to convince Larkin to stay.
If there is no chance of that, then whoever accepts the job almost certainly would want to have a say in the return. It is hard to imagine the Red Wings would trade away their best player right before hiring someone, as it might give candidates reason not to accept the position.
The Montreal Canadiens have desperately been searching for an upgrade in their Top 6 and have yet to get a trade across the finish line. It isn’t that surprising because good forwards are hard to come by, and when teams get one, they don’t want to just give them away.
Larkin would be a perfect player to address arguably the biggest need the Montreal Canadiens have, but it is hard to imagine anything might be imminent or even possible before training camp. They can’t wait around for the Red Wings to find their next general manager or hope that Larkin changes his mind about where he would want to be traded to, and their focus should be elsewhere at this point.
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