TSN’s Bryan Hayes floats Canadiens fit for Dylan Larkin as Detroit still weighs its next move

TSN analyst Bryan Hayes has argued that Dylan Larkin would be a natural fit for the Montreal Canadiens, but the question for Canadiens fans is how likely that scenario is in the remaining days of August. According to Yahoo Sports’ report on Hayes’ comments, Larkin is still officially with the Detroit Red Wings after putting in a trade request in June, and Detroit has not yet resolved the broader questions surrounding its front office and roster direction.

The trade request itself sets the modern stakes for any potential landing spot. Hayes’ Canadiens idea runs up against a key constraint noted in the report: Detroit forward Dylan Larkin submitted a list of only four teams he would be willing to be traded to. Those teams, as described by Yahoo Sports, are the Florida Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Dallas Stars. In other words, Montreal is framed as a “fit,” not necessarily a “feasible” destination under the current terms of Larkin’s expressed preferences.

Still, Hayes’ argument matters because it reflects a hockey-building logic Canadiens management may recognize even if the immediate roster path is complicated. Larkin is a center who can play a central role in both structure and intensity, and Hayes’ comparison implies that Montreal could use a forward with two-way responsibility and leadership in the middle. For a team that has to balance youth development with contention planning, a proven forward core is often the missing ingredient between rebuilding and sustained success.

Detroit’s situation, meanwhile, is not described as settled. Yahoo Sports reports that the summer has included turmoil, highlighted by legendary center Steve Yzerman stepping away from the general manager role. The report also says Detroit has not yet filled the vacancy. That matters because a front office transition can slow down negotiations, change internal priorities, and alter how hard a club pushes in trade talks when a star player indicates discomfort.

There is also a timing element to the story. With “just a few days left in August,” the report emphasizes that the trade request has not produced a resolution yet. In the NHL, that kind of late-summer stasis can lead to two very different outcomes: either an eventual trade that fits within the player’s stated list, or a longer period of waiting that forces the organization to address roster-building without assuming a deal is coming immediately.

From the Canadiens side, the immediate takeaway is that Hayes’ “fit” framing may be more about roster profile than a direct prediction. Even if Montreal likes what it imagines Larkin could bring, the report’s roster preference list creates a narrow set of potential suitors. If Larkin remains committed to those destinations, the Canadiens would likely need either a change in circumstances or a different acquisition target altogether.

For Detroit, the key variable is how it navigates the combination of a trade request and leadership churn. If the club believes it can secure something that supports its long-term plans, the next step would be negotiating with one (or more) of the teams named in the trade list. If not, Detroit’s summer could end with Larkin still in the building, forcing the Red Wings to shift from trade speculation to a renewed “start the season” focus.

What to watch next is straightforward. The closest-to-source indicator is whether Larkin’s situation changes from “still a Red Wings member” to a completed trade, and whether the front office vacancy is filled in a way that clarifies Detroit’s bargaining posture. For Montreal, the immediate watch item is whether Hayes’ Canadiens fit argument turns into concrete roster action, either by pivoting to another player profile or by waiting for a deal dynamic to open up.

There is one important caveat: the only explicit destination constraint in the report is tied to the four teams Larkin listed. Hayes’ Canadiens fit could still influence how fans and analysts interpret the broader “what if” landscape, but it does not override the practical barriers created by the stated list. Until a trade is actually completed and confirmed by the teams, the story remains a mixture of personnel imagination and real negotiation math.