The Montreal Canadiens are known to want Dylan Larkin, the Detroit Red Wings center who has had a trade request lingering for months. The Habs aren’t on Larkin’s approved team trade list at the moment, though, and so nothing can happen there for now.
There’s another big-time forward more recently on the trade market, though, and that’s Nikita Kucherov. A case could be made that the Canadiens could pivot in his direction.
It’s not as obvious a lineup fit, but the Canadiens have one of the best young teams in hockey, and the chance to plug in an absolute star to the roster would be more worthwhile than any kind of concerns about maneuvering players into the right spots.
On Thursday, Kucherov and the Canadiens were named as a fit by ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski — and while that doesn’t guarantee anything, it’s an intriguing partnership to imagine.
Nikita Kucherov to Canadiens?
Wyshynski simply thinks the Habs are in position to make a deal. They’re already lining up for Larkin. Maybe Kucherov would work instead.
“How many boxes do the Canadiens check for Kucherov?” Wyshynski begins. “They have coach Martin St. Louis, his former teammate. They have Ivan Demidov, a young Russian star who shares an agent with Kucherov. They have offensive dynamos with whom Kucherov can play, whether it’s up with Nick Suzuki or across from Demidov or in front of Lane Hutson. They’re also a meticulously managed team under the salary cap, setting themselves up for a giant swing like this for an ascendant team that made the conference finals last season.”
He addresses the positional concern next.
“If there’s a knock on this move, it’s that the Canadiens have more pressing needs, especially at center,” Wyshynski writes. “But it’s Nikita Kucherov. You make exceptions when it’s Nikita Kucherov.”
In some ways, there’s nothing more to say than “it’s Nikita Kucherov.” If the Canadiens can get him, it’s definitely worth considering.
Getting Dylan Larkin Involved
Wyshynski then throws out an idea that would also solve the Red Wings’ Larkin problem in one fell swoop.
“A trade scenario I’ve been toying with: Dylan Larkin won’t go to Montreal; Nikita Kucherov probably doesn’t sign in Detroit; so, the Canadiens send the trade package they’ve offered for Larkin to the Lightning for Kucherov, and the Bolts then send it to the Red Wings for Larkin,” Wyshynski writes. “Two off-ice dramas solved at once!”
It’s certainly been a fascinating start to the NHL season with various stars on the trading block, including the already-moved Connor Hellebuyck.
Kucherov’s presence adds to that, and eventually, someone might end up with a really special player.
Canadiens Get Major Update On Nikita Kucherov Trade