Dylan Larkin's Trade List Leaves Out Team That Wants Him Badly
Per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin's approved trade destinations remain limited to the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights, with the Dallas Stars later added as a fourth option.
Montreal, despite a glaring need at second-line center and the assets to make a big offer, has not been included.
Montreal Seemed Like Such A Natural Fit
The Canadiens are stacked with young talent and have a very deep prospect pool that would be more than enough to put together a tempting offer.
Larkin's $8.7 million cap hit would fit nicely into Montreal's roughly $9.7 million in space, and that pairing him with Nick Suzuki down the middle would immediately upgrade the Canadiens' center depth.
According to @renlavoietva, Montreal remains on Larkin’s no-trade list as he prefers to remain in the United States. What should the Canadiens do with the 2C position to start the season? pic.twitter.com/QEH01RnExi
— HFTV (@HFTVSports) September 3, 2026
Larkin's remarkably consistent production, five straight seasons between 67 and 79 points, only strengthens the argument.
He's Kept Them Off Anyway
All four approved destinations are American teams, and Montreal Hockey Now's Marc Dumont laid out the likely reasoning: "Unfortunately, given the teams he listed, it doesn't seem like Montreal would be a good fit from Larkin's perspective."
Dumont noted the Red Wings and Canadiens are also positioned to battle for the same playoff spots in the years ahead, giving Detroit its own separate reason to be reluctant about that specific trade even if Larkin were interested.
There's also a roster-construction wrinkle working against Montreal. Dumont pointed out the Canadiens won't part with top prospect Michael Hage in any deal, floating KHL winger Alexander Zharovsky as a more realistic centerpiece instead, a package that may not be enough to get a deal with Detroit's new front office done regardless of where Larkin wants to go.
The Philadelphia Flyers reportedly checked in on Dylan Larkin but were turned away after being told they weren't on his list of acceptable destinations, per @KKurzNHL 😳
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 7, 2026
Minnesota, Vegas, and Florida remain his preferred landing spots, though none have been willing to meet the… pic.twitter.com/eXF4pFGR0A
Multiple insiders, including LeBrun, have suggested Larkin could still expand his options as the situation drags on, and Detroit's ongoing GM search adds another layer of uncertainty to how firm any list really is right now.
Until a permanent GM is in place to actually negotiate, the entire Larkin situation remains something of a holding pattern.
