Montreal’s Larkin Trade Pitch Is Huge — and That’s Exactly Why It’s Complicated
GOATIFYA blockbuster Montreal-Detroit trade proposal is circulating because it connects two very real roster problems with one very aggressive hypothetical solution. The proposed deal would send Kirby Dach, Kaiden Guhle, Samuel Montembeault, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick to Detroit for Dylan Larkin, Simon Edvinsson and a 2028 third-round pick.
The important distinction is that this is a trade pitch, not a reported negotiation. But the ingredients behind it are real enough to make the exercise useful. Larkin requested a trade after Detroit missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season. Edvinsson remains unsigned and returned to Sweden while contract talks stalled. Montreal, meanwhile, has a competitive roster and an obvious reason to think about whether a proven second-line center could raise its ceiling.
Detroit’s Problem Is Bigger Than One Trade Request
The proposal becomes interesting because Detroit is dealing with two separate sources of uncertainty at once. Larkin asked for a trade during the offseason, lost the captaincy and entered the season injured. Edvinsson, one of the most important young defensemen in the organization, reached the start of the season without a contract and returned to Sweden while negotiations continued.
Those situations are not identical. Larkin is under long-term contract and controls much of the process through his trade protection. Edvinsson is a restricted free agent whose dispute has centered on reaching a new agreement with Detroit. Combining them into one trade would therefore be an enormous organizational decision rather than a simple attempt to clear two unhappy players.
That is also why Montreal would have to pay heavily. Edvinsson is 23 and already established as a major-minute NHL defenseman. He produced 25 points last season while averaging more than 22 minutes per game, and Detroit has publicly treated signing him as a priority. A team does not casually move that kind of young defenseman because negotiations are difficult.
For the Red Wings, the strongest argument against the proposal is straightforward: solving uncertainty by trading two premium pieces at the same time can create a talent problem that lasts much longer than the contract disputes themselves. If Detroit can repair either relationship, it may preserve more value than any package built around futures and replacement players.
Larkin Is the Kind of 2C Montreal Rarely Gets a Chance to Add
Larkin is the piece that makes the proposal tempting for Montreal. The Canadiens already have Nick Suzuki at the top of the depth chart, so they would not need Larkin to arrive as the face of the franchise. They would need him to make the middle of the lineup far harder to match.
Last season Larkin scored a career-high 34 goals and added 33 assists in 74 games. He has spent his entire NHL career in Detroit, and his contract carries an $8.7 million average annual value for five more seasons. That is expensive for a second-line center, but it is also the price of acquiring a proven top-six center without waiting for one to develop internally.
The fit is easy to imagine. Suzuki could continue handling the most important offensive and matchup assignments while Larkin drives a second unit with speed and transition ability. If injuries hit, Montreal would have another center capable of taking first-line minutes. In a playoff series, that kind of center depth can change how opponents deploy their best defensive pairings.
The complication is Larkin's control over his destination. Earlier reporting indicated that his preferred trade list was narrow, and other reporting has specifically suggested he was unwilling to consider Canadian destinations. That makes any Montreal proposal more speculative than a normal trade-machine exercise. Before the Canadiens could debate the asset cost, they would need confidence that Larkin would actually accept the move.
The Montreal Package Is Expensive for a Reason
Montreal's side of the proposed package is not spare parts. Guhle is a young defenseman signed long term. Dach is still only 25 and has enough size and skill to remain an intriguing center option when healthy. Montembeault is an established NHL goaltender, and the two draft picks include a future first-rounder.
The logic behind including Montembeault is tied to Montreal's evolving crease. Jakub Dobes has given the Canadiens another viable option, which creates flexibility that did not exist when Montembeault was the unquestioned answer. But goaltending depth can disappear quickly, and moving a proven goalie inside a blockbuster would increase the pressure on the remaining group immediately.
Dach and Guhle carry a different kind of risk. Both have dealt with significant injuries, which is part of the argument for converting uncertain future availability into established star power. Yet selling low on young players because of health history can be expensive if they stabilize elsewhere. Detroit would be betting that age and contract control eventually produce more value than Larkin's immediate impact.
That is why the proposed deal works better as a test of priorities than as a prediction. Montreal would be choosing certainty and contention now: a proven center plus a high-upside defenseman. Detroit would be choosing younger pieces, picks and a reset around players with more runway. Both directions are defensible, but the scale of the package means neither team should make the choice simply because the names fit neatly on a trade screen.
The proposal captures why Detroit is one of the league's most interesting teams to watch. Larkin's future remains unresolved, Edvinsson's contract situation has already taken him away from the club, and every new development creates another wave of trade speculation.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious. Larkin would immediately deepen the center position and Edvinsson would add a young, high-end defenseman. The price is equally obvious: multiple NHL players, meaningful contract value and premium draft capital.
Until there is evidence of actual talks — and evidence that Larkin would approve Montreal — this should be treated as a thought experiment rather than a developing transaction. But it is a useful one. It shows exactly how expensive it would be for another team to try to turn Detroit's uncertainty into a competitive advantage.
