A top NHL insider on Tuesday named “the one team” that can meet the Detroit Red Wings’ price to trade for disgruntled star goal-scorer Dylan Larkin. The question is, would Larkin be willing to go there. According to insider Frank Seravalli, Larkin has not included Montreal on his list of destinations he would approve, given his no-trade clause.
Seravalli cited an NHL executive who called the Montreal Canadiens the one team that can both contend and also meet the Red Wings’ demands to ship out the 30-year-old Larkin.
Larkin’s list of acceptable trade destinations excludes every Canadian franchise, leaving Montreal waiting on a change of heart before the March 1 deadline, according to Seravalli.
“Larkin could end this saga tomorrow if he added the Canadiens to his list. Who cares if they’re in the same division? They are the one team with a chance to contend that can also give Detroit what it wants for Larkin,” the executive told Seravalli, who published the quote in a report for Casino.org.
Seravalli wrote in his Oct. 6 “Week 1 Diary” that the Canadiens plan a “big swing” before the deadline after failing to land Kirill Marchenko. Sources told him Montreal’s offer included two NHL forwards, an NHL defenseman, a first-round pick and a conditional pick that could become another first. Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov and Cole Caufield were not part of it.
Larkin’s Trade Request Timeline With Red Wings
Reports that Larkin asked out of Detroit surfaced June 4. Then-general manager Steve Yzerman confirmed June 27 that Larkin’s agent supplied “a short list of teams” for which the center would waive his no-trade clause, as quoted by NHL.com.
Detroit relieved Larkin of his team captaincy in September after six seasons. Larkin said Sept. 17 that asking out “wasn’t easy” and that he does not regret it, according to NHL.com.
The Detroit Free Press’s Helene St. James first reported a short list of the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers, according to Sportsnet.
Elliotte Friedman said on “32 Thoughts” Sept. 25 the list had grown to “somewhere around eight” teams, naming the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals, as quoted by GinoHard.com.
Seravalli and Friedman both say no Canadian franchise is on it. Larkin has not offered a reason in any public statement. Seravalli’s executive source called the Atlantic Division overlap irrelevant to Detroit, rather than a Larkin objection. Friedman said the common thread among the listed clubs is that Larkin views them as contenders, and the list stayed American even after it roughly doubled.
How Larkin Would Fit With Montreal Canadiens Roster
Larkin, born July 30, 1996, in Waterford, Michigan, went 15th overall to Detroit in 2014 after one season at Michigan.
He debuted Oct. 9, 2015, scored 23 goals as a rookie, became captain Jan. 13, 2021, and earned All-Star nods in 2016, 2022 and 2023, according to NHL.com. He posted four consecutive 30-goal seasons through 2024-25 and owns a career line of 277 goals, 368 assists and 645 points in 809 games.
Larkin would slot behind captain Nick Suzuki as a left-shot second-line center, according to The Athletic‘s analysis.
Montreal’s center depth behind Suzuki includes Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, Phillip Danault and Oliver Kapanen, according to Elite Prospects.
The Athletic named center prospect Michael Hage, winger prospect Alexander Zharovsky, defensemen David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom, and first-round picks as assets Detroit might want. The Red Wings “want back a younger version of Larkin,” a general manager in talks with Detroit told Seravalli in late September.
Speculation that Montreal is recycling its Marchenko framework for Larkin remains unconfirmed, according to HockeyFeed.
Dylan Larkin Trade Rumors: Insider Says Only One Team Can Meet Red Wings’ Price