There has been plenty of talk out there regarding the Montreal Canadiens potentially trading for Dylan Larkin. Much of the justification behind the move bases itself on how the Habs needed another top-six forward.
Moreover, Larkin is the sort of veteran leader that the Canadiens need to go all the way.
That argument seems valid on paper. But in reality, it’s just dumb.
The Canadiens are a young, up-and-coming team. They have a 26-year-old 100-point Selke Trophy winner, with the league’s best young core just waiting to burst out. Guys like Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson are just beginning to show what they can do in the NHL.
That’s why a declining Dylan Larkin just doesn’t make any sense for the Canadiens. The Habs need someone who can seriously keep up with them. And by the looks of it, Larkin isn’t really the sort of guy that can hang with the high-flying team Kent Hughes has assembled in Montreal.
Larkin isn’t the top-six scoring center the Canadiens would crave. And he isn’t quite the defensive mastermind who could shut down the opposition around him.
He’s just an expensive middle-six center who might not have very much to offer the Canadiens at this stage in this team’s development.
Dylan Larkin Is an Expensive Depth Piece
Dylan Larkin is a good hockey player. That doesn’t mean the Canadiens should pay $8.7 million for him.
That’s the problem with this entire idea.
Larkin could be an excellent depth piece on a deep team. In fact, his role with Team USA at the 2026 Olympics offered a pretty good indication of where he fits on a championship-caliber roster. He was playing fourth-line minutes, surrounded by some of the best players in the world.
That’s not an insult. It’s just reality.
The Canadiens, however, wouldn’t be acquiring Larkin to play on their fourth line. He would presumably become their second-line center, which means Montreal would be paying a massive salary for a player who doesn’t provide the offensive upside expected from that position.
At $8.7 million, Larkin needs to be more than merely useful.
The Canadiens need someone who can keep pace with their young stars. Larkin doesn’t appear to be that guy anymore.
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Detroit Could Make the Price Too High for Canadiens’ Britches
Then there’s the small matter of what the Red Wings would actually want in return.
Detroit isn’t going to trade Larkin simply to get rid of his contract. The organization would presumably want a player capable of stepping directly into the first-line center role Larkin would leave behind.
That’s where this becomes even more difficult for Montreal.
The Canadiens would have to surrender significant assets to acquire a player who isn’t worth anywhere near the contract he’s carrying. And if Detroit wants an established NHL player, a top prospect or significant draft capital in addition to Larkin, the equation becomes downright ridiculous.
Unless the Canadiens can acquire Larkin for a bag of pucks and a set of goalie pads, the acquisition cost simply doesn’t make sense.
Montreal has something special developing. The organization shouldn’t interrupt that progression by throwing valuable assets and nearly $9 million in cap space at a declining veteran.
Larkin may still have something to offer.
But that doesn’t mean the Canadiens have to be the team that finds out.
Maybe Detroit’s new GM eventually sings a different tune and lowers the asking price considerably.
That’s a story for another day.
Canadiens Trading for Dylan Larkin Would Be Just Dumb