The Montreal Canadiens may not be on Dylan Larkin's list of approved trade destinations, a list that expanded to 10 teams. However, that hasn't silenced rumors that general manager Kent Hughes is actively trying to work out a deal. It also hasn't stopped the fans from doing everything they can to get him to reconsider adding the Canadiens to his list, and their efforts might have helped.
However, the Canadiens aren't the only team not on his list that might be making a push to have the center reconsider. According to Chris Johnston with The Athletic, the Buffalo Sabres have also expressed interest in the Red Wings' forward:
"He’s indicated a willingness to waive his no-trade clause for 10 teams and may yet have to expand that list further to facilitate a deal that nets Detroit the right mix of assets in return. The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are two teams not currently on his trade list that have interest."
Buffalo Sabres have one advantage but the Canadiens have the better long-term outlook
The Buffalo Sabres certainly have an advantage over the Montreal Canadiens, most notably the fact that they are in the United States. Based on Larkin's list, he is not considering any teams in Canada but if he changed his mind, the Canadiens present arguably the best situation for him.
He would be joining a team that has now made the playoffs for two consecutive seasons and certainly looks like it is going to keep that trend going. They have a majority of their core, like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, and Juraj Slafkovsky, locked into long-term deals.
For the Sabres, they have the location, a fellow Team USA teammate in Tage Thompson, and the chance to be the top center. They also have several key players locked into long-term deals like Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Zach Benson, and Josh Doan.
However, comparing the two franchises' resumes, the Canadiens probably offer a better chance at consistent playoff appearances and are also likely closer to a Stanley Cup.
Even though the Canadiens might be competing with the Sabres as a team on the outside looking in on the trade list, general manager Kent Hughes isn't just competing with Buffalo but also the 10 other teams already on the trade list. It still feels like a long shot to add Larkin, and if they don't get him, it shouldn't be viewed as a failure on Hughes' part.
The chance to add him was always going to be an uphill battle, but he certainly deserves credit for continuing to push to add a player who would be a major upgrade for the roster and put them in that top tier of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
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