A month into the 2026-27 regular season, NHL Rumours from the Detroit Red Wings camp continue to circulate about their top-six centreman Dylan Larkin. Connections continue to be made between Larkin and the Montreal Canadiens, even though the Habs are not on his 10-team trade list. Let’s take a closer look at the latest speculation.
NHL Rumours: Asking Price for Larkin Is Prohibitive
Rumour: On Sunday at the Heritage Classic, Hockey Insider Elliotte Friedman was interviewed on The NHL on TNT. He said the situation in Detroit with Larkin and Simon Edvinsson could be described as percolating. He continued on with that Detroit has been calling teams asking about young centres, either in the NHL or top prospects.
Analysis: The Montreal Canadiens interest in Dylan Larkin is not news. Larkin’s 10-team list is also a matter of public knowledge, and the Habs are not on it. The part that is yet unknown is whether Larkin could be eventually swayed to join the Canadiens. Of course, that willingness could be moot if Montreal is not willing to pay Detroit’s prohibitive asking price. All three parties need to get on the same page if Larkin to Montreal is going to become more than the latest edition of NHL Rumours.
Friedman was asked if there was any chance Larkin expands his list, and Friedman immediately addressed Montreal. He said the fans cheering for Larkin when Detroit played in Montreal “moved the needle a bit.” He expressed his opinion that if a trade were to happen, it would have to be Montreal and Detroit working out a deal, and that deal being brought to Larkin to waive his no trade clause.
On Monday, in his regular appearance on The Sick Podcast With Tony Marinaro, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels was asked for his reaction to Friedman’s comments. Engels reported that he had heard the asking price for Larkin was prohibitive and this would limit the teams who could make a deal. He also revealed his theory that Larkin might be inclined to help Detroit get a strong return for him, and this would be undermined by going public with his willingness to be dealt to Montreal.
Detroit Wants a Grand Slam
Engels said the Detroit Red Wings are trying to hit a grand slam with the Dylan Larkin trade. Larkin has been a number one centreman in Detroit and they want a return that is consistent with that. Engels said Larkin is 30 years old and on a contract that will age like fine wine if his play is “anywhere resemblant of what he’s been so far.”
The problem for Detroit is that the ten teams on Larkin’s list are not in a position to give the Red Wings the package they are seeking. Contending teams are reluctant to create holes in another area to get Larkin, or to make a deal that would essentially be a lateral move.
The Montreal Canadiens Can Make a Strong Offer
As Engels noted, the Montreal Canadiens have a combination of roster players, picks, and prospects that can give Detroit a better offer than any team on Larkin’s trade list. He made a good point, that if Larkin was actually open to a move to Montreal, if that becomes known it weakens Detroit’s negotiating position. Engels proposed that Larkin might want “to do Detroit right in this whole situation while it’s being painted that he’s doing them wrong in every way.”
Even if Larkin has softened his stance on playing in Canada, there is a real question as to whether Montreal’s general manager Kent Hughes will be willing to pay the prohibitive price mentioned by Engels. Having a full cupboard does not mean Hughes is willing to blow it all in one place, and the Canadiens and Hughes may be changing his strategy with the way his prospects are developing.
Detroit Scouting Continues to Stir NHL Rumours
If the Detroit Red Wings are interested in shifting attention away from the NHL Rumours surrounding Montreal’s interest in Larkin, they have a funny way of showing it. According to Pierre LeBrun, Detroit’s assistant general manager, Kris Draper, would be watching the Montreal Canadiens game on Tuesday. That’s three of the last four Habs games that Draper has scouted. Of course, Detroit may be using these rumours to drive up the asking price from other interested teams.
Pierre LeBrun confirms that Detroit Red Wings AGM Kris Draper will once again be watching the Montreal Canadiens tonight.
For those keeping track, that's now three of the Canadiens' last four games. https://t.co/FtBJ6yTxAI
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) October 27, 2026
The Last Word
The NHL rumours connecting Dylan Larkin to the Montreal Canadiens will not stop. The amount of smoke, and the extent to which is has been sustained, would suggest there is indeed a potential fire to scope out. Might the rumours be generated from the Red Wings, in an attempt to put pressure on the teams on Larkin’s list? This is a real possibility. But there is no doubt the Habs are interested, and they are keeping an eye on the situation as it develops, and will be ready to strike if there is a deal to be made.
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