A new mock trade proposal is circulating for Dylan Larkin, and this one has Montreal fans buzzing.
IceMetrix floated a Canadiens package this week built around two of the organization's top prospects.
The proposed deal sends prospect Michael Hage, defenseman Adam Engstrom and a second-round pick to Detroit in exchange for Larkin and prospect Shai Buium.
"Who says no?" the post asked, tagging it as a Habs-favorable framework.
Larkin posted 67 points in 74 games this past season for the Red Wings, with 34 goals and a plus-3 rating attached to that production.
Engstrom, meanwhile, appeared in 15 games for Montreal this season, recording one assist and a plus-2 rating in a limited role.
Montreal Canadiens Mock Trade for Dylan Larkin
DET:
- Michael Hage
- Adam Engstrom
- 2nd Round Pick
MTL:
- Dylan Larkin
- Shai Buium
WHO SAYS NO?
-
Kent Hughes could make biggest gamble yet for Dylan Larkin
That gap in NHL-level production is the obvious problem here. Detroit's captain, in the middle of a real trade request, gets valued against a fringe defenseman and unproven prospects.
Larkin has been sticking with three specific destinations throughout this process, Florida, Minnesota and Vegas, none of which is Montreal.
That alone makes this proposal more fan wish-casting than realistic framework. Steve Yzerman hasn't shown any indication Montreal is even part of these conversations.
Prospect-for-prospect swaps involving names like Hage and Buium are harder to evaluate without NHL games attached to either player yet.
Montreal finished last season 106 points and a plus-27 goal differential under Martin St-Louis, a roster that's already trending toward contention without needing to gut its prospect pool.
Adding a proven center like Larkin would obviously raise Montreal's ceiling further. But mock trades built on social media rarely reflect what either front office is actually discussing.
Kent Hughes has been aggressive this offseason, but there's a real difference between aggressive and reckless with a prospect pipeline this deep.
For now, this stays exactly what it looks like: a fun hypothetical that ignores which three teams Larkin has actually said he wants to play for.
Would you trade Michael Hage for Dylan Larkin if the Canadiens had the chance?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
The worst is confirmed for the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid just weeks before NHL season start
