Based on how the season ended, it is clear what the Montreal Canadiens' top roster needs is, and that is another center for their Top 6 alongside Nick Suzuki. They are not easy to find, but they might have their best chance to get one after the news that Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Red Wings captain has reportedly requested a trade, although neither the agent nor the team would confirm. While the player is looking to move on, there are numerous hurdles that must be overcome for a deal to be finalized.
From the team's perspective, they are not going to give Larkin away and need to get an offer that makes sense for them. The center is coming off a decent season where he had 67 points in 74 games but struggled a bit down the stretch with only three 5v5 goals in the final 18 regular-season games.
However, even with the way he finished, it is a small sample size, and he will only be turning 30 this summer. For the Red Wings, the challenge isn't just getting the return but finding a team that Larkin wants to go to as he has a full no-trade clause.
Montreal Canadiens could be the perfect trade partner for the Detroit Red Wings
Even with all the challenges, the Montreal Canadiens could be the best option for the Red Wings, even if it is a team within the division. For Larkin, the driving force behind him requesting a trade is probably his desire to get back to the playoffs, after only one appearance in his NHL career.
The Canadiens are a team on the rise after reaching the playoffs in consecutive seasons and going as far as the Eastern Conference Finals. They also present him a great opportunity to be surrounded by a talented core that includes Lane Hutson, Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky.
From the Canadiens perspective, it addresses the biggest need but also gives them a player under contract long-term with a reasonable AAV of $8.7 million. The current contract runs through the 2030-31 season and he will be only 34 years old at the end of his contract.
For the Red Wings, the Canadiens have plenty of assets that they could package in a trade to get this deal done. The top prospect is obviously Michael Hage, who is a center that looks NHL-ready but has gone back to the University of Michigan for one more season. On top of that, the Canadiens have players like Oliver Kapanen and David Reinbacher that could make sense, along with all their first-round picks moving forward.
It is hard to imagine that the Red Wings are going to rush into a trade, and this could drag out until the NHL Draft at the end of the month. However, it would make a lot of sense that the Canadiens are one of the more aggressive teams and one that Larkin could want to join.
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