General manager Kent Hughes seemingly was going big-game hunting this offseason, and if he was going to make a trade, it was going to be a big splash move for the Montreal Canadiens. One of the players that the Canadiens were interested in was Dylan Larkin, but there was one hurdle they couldn't overcome and they have appeared to accept the fact that they won't.
Darren Dreger was on The Morning Show with Connor McKenna and Shaun Starr and said that the ship has sailed on Larkin because the Red Wings' star center doesn't want to play in Canada. "I think the Larkin ship has sailed because he doesn't seem to be willing to reconsider his position on a Canadian team, in this case, the Montreal Canadiens.”
There is no question that it is a messy situation in Detroit and then probably would like to move on from Larkin. However, the player hasn't really helped his cause because he has a no-movement clause and has really restricted the teams he would be willing to waive it for.
Montreal Canadiens haven't given up on potentially adding a center at some point this season
While Dylan Larkin may no longer be an option for them, the Canadiens are reportedly interested in Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. According to Nick Kypreos with Sportsnet, the Canadiens are one of a few teams interested in the veteran.
Kypreos mentioned a few players who might be part of a trade package that included Michael Hage, Oliver Kapanen, Kirby Dach, and maybe Samuel Montembeault. The last player only makes sense if the Jets trade Connor Hellebuyck, but the Jets also don't even consider trading Scheifele until they have moved their star goalie.
If the Canadiens only need to include Kapanen, Dach, and Montembeault to get a deal done, it is a move that makes sense for Montreal. However, including Hage for a 33-year-old who still has four years left on his deal after this season with an AAV of $8.5 million doesn't seem like the right move for what Montreal is trying to do.
A trade like that is exactly the type of deal that Kent Hughes has resisted making to this point. The Canadiens' Stanley Cup window is just opening, and adding a big contract like that could limit the moves the team might be able to make in future seasons.
From a player perspective, Scheifele would be a great fit on the second line between Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. He is still very productive with 87 points in 2024-25, and he secured his first 100-point season last year with 103 after scoring 36 goals with 67 assists.
However, the contract and the fact that the Canadiens would need to give up potentially their top prospect in a deal, it just doesn't seem like a smart move at this point.
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