Canadiens Reportedly Still In On Larkin
Oct 10, 2026 11:00 AM
Dylan Larkin is still available and everybody can see how great of a fit he could be for the Montreal Canadiens, could it happen?
Despite the lack of results, Kent Hughes has been busy this offseason, but the Montreal Canadiens GM has seen his two biggest reported targets slip away over the past year. Matthew Knies is now a Columbus Blue Jacket, and Kirill Marchenko is now a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, the Habs may not be out of luck; Dylan Larkin may still change his mind about coming to town.
In the latest edition of 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman gave his thoughts on the matter:
By the way, Larkin, there’s been lots of reporting that people have tried to talk him into Montreal; he would be God there. That would be a perfect place for him. Suzuki and him as the one-two punch? That would be a perfect place for him. And, you know, I think you’ve got [Lane] Hutson, [Cole] Caufield, American guys, very happy and thriving there, team on the way up, though they can’t beat Carolina right now, but team on the way up; I think that would set up so well for him.
There’s no arguing that Montreal and Larkin would be a wonderful fit; that was our initial thinking when his trade request was first revealed. However, it’s been reported several times that he didn’t want to come to Canada. Perhaps he could change his mind, but it's a bit worrying. He might request a trade again down the line if he wasn’t that keen on Montreal in the first place.
With the Detroit Red Wings visiting the Canadiens on Saturday night, radio station BPM Sports, through Renaud Lavoie and Georges Laraque, has been suggesting that Habs fans should shower the centerman with love and admiration during the game. Cheer him if he’s introduced in the starting lineup, cheer every time he touches the puck and start “We want Larkin!” chants. The two men believe that he could be wooed into removing Montreal from his no-trade list. That’s not impossible, but chances are his family has more influence on the player than fans in another market.
Larkin is married to Kenzie Wolfe, a fellow Michigan native who also went to college there. If he moves to Canada, she would have to be on board. Could cheering fans sway her opinion? Perhaps. But it could put the Canadiens in a precarious position. In August 2005, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Chris Pronger, and the defenseman led them to a Stanley Cup Final, but then came a crushing blow: Pronger requested a trade for family reasons.
Before Hughes pays the no-doubt hefty price tag it would cost to get Larkin, he would have to be 100% certain that he won’t end up in the same situation as the Oilers in 2006.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.
Comments
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy