The Montreal Canadiens are where the Detroit Red Wings wish they were: at the end of a long rebuild, stacked with young talent and ready to push toward a Stanley Cup Final appearance. With that being the case, the Habs might be able to nudge their way onto Dylan Larkin's trade list, as it seems highly unlikely that two of the three organizations he wants to go to can make it work.
According to various reports, the Red Wings captain has requested a trade to the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, or Minnesota Wild. That badly handcuffs Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman, and as this situation unfolds, it seems likely that at least another small group of teams will get added to Larkin's short list.
The Wild could manage to swing a deal in the coming days, but Montreal has a fantastic situation for Larkin to be a part of, and the kind of assets Yzerman may be looking for to boot.
Dylan Larkin would fill a massive hole on the Canadiens' roster
The Canadiens are close to being perennial threats to go to the Eastern Conference Final. They arrived ahead of schedule this season, making it there as the youngest team in the NHL. Arguably, the biggest need on their roster is that of a No. 2 center to play behind Nick Suzuki.
Suzuki, 26, just won his first Selke Trophy and figures to be one of the best two-way pivots in the NHL for the next decade. Larkin could slot in perfectly behind him, smashing softer minutes than the ones he's been seeing in Detroit over the last 11 seasons.
The Red Wings ask their captain to do everything. Just this past season, we've seen what happens when an offensive powerhouse is no longer asked to drive all play for his line at all times. Larkin, in Montreal, could experience what Mitch Marner is currently feeling with (ironically) the Golden Knights.
With Suzuki and Larkin, the Canadiens would have one of the, if not the, best one-two center combos in the Eastern Conference. If Montreal is going to make a pitch, this would be a good place to start.
If multiple cracks at the Stanley Cup are important to Dylan Larkin, the Canadiens are a perfect fit
Based on Larkin's initial trade list, it seems like getting multiple chances to win the Stanley Cup matters to him at this stage of his career. One has to assume that he's tired of losing, having not seen the playoffs in a decade in Detroit. In Montreal, odds are good that he could play in the postseason every year until he decides to hang up his skates.
A third team would likely need to get involved for the Panthers or Golden Knights to make Larkin work. They'd be trading away at least one or two pieces of their NHL rosters to make the math and value work. The Canadiens have enough young talent that they could meet Detroit's presumably sky-high asking price without bleeding their depth dry.
As we've seen in these playoffs, having a great top line doesn't matter nearly as much as being able to roll four solid units. How could he not be tempted by the thought of skating with Ivan Demidov for the next five or six years?
This is a team that has a Stanley Cup window that is just beginning to open. This past season, the Panthers were the third-oldest team in the NHL, while the Golden Knights were fourth. Minnesota skews a bit younger, but they are roughly where the Red Wings are now in terms of average age.
Larkin would be a wonderful fit in Montreal, another historic Original Six franchise where he'd be immortalized forever by bringing a Stanley Cup home for the Canadiens. The Habs have the resources to move for Larkin, need a No. 2 center to get to the next level and appear to be just starting their ascent.
For Larkin, that should at least be worth considering as this fluid situation with Detroit develops over the summer.
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