Bottom Six Minutes: Do we want Dylan Larkin? #Habs #GoHabsGo #MontrealCanadiens
Bottom Six Minutes: Do we want Dylan Larkin?
In the penultimate game of their first 2026-27 home stand, the Montreal Canadiens hosted their embattled divisional rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. The Habs won in a shootout, thanks in large part to an excellent Jacob Fowler performance, and in spite of some highly questionable officiating. I feel like I have spilled enough digital ink on officiating for several lifetimes, and we should have plenty of years to appreciate Fowler’s exploits. This Dylan Larkin saga, however, is one that can’t possibly be a topic of conversation much longer. And the Larkin chants are not going away either. https://t.co/U57sSRC3tS— Matt Drake (@DrakeMT) October 10, 2026 Do we, all things considered, want Larkin? If you strip away all extracurricular considerations and just look at the hockey of it, Larkin is the most obvious fit for Montreal. A one-two punch of him and Nick Suzuki basically presents the opportunity to have two first lines, and the Habs could be looked at as nothing short of serious contenders with him in their lineup. Detroit look like they’re drifting towards a complete rebuild, and the Habs are the most obvious team with the desire, and the means, to offer them a meaningful package that would accelerate that process. From a pure hockey standpoint, they are perfect trade partners in this instance. Unfortunately, there’s more than just the hockey of it. Larkin has not expressly stated that he won’t play in Canada, but his reported — and incredibly short — list of acceptable destinations has been limited exclusively to contending teams in the United States. He has never publicly endorsed a political candidate, but the discourse around the Team USA White House visit has ostensibly suggested that he may espouse some political views in contempt of Canada. He’s not likely to come out and say any of this, but if Montreal isn’t on his list now, are some chants from the Bell Centre faithful going to make a difference? Larkin is also from Detroit. He played his minor hockey there. If he is willing to spurn his hometown team, what assurances can you possibly have that he’ll show any semblance of loyalty to a team, city, and country that he has no connection to? As Marc Bergevin once said, if you want loyalty, get a dog. For the current Habs, who have built a culture of players who want to be there and have taken less than they’re worth to make it happen, Larkin may not be the breed they’re looking for. And yet, on the ice he is, so as long as his request of the Red Wings organization remains unfulfilled, the Habs will be mentioned in every conversation about his status. Fans will probably run that chant back every chance they get, and he’s got enough media training to dance around it. Dylan Larkin on fans chanting his name: “It was interesting. I never would’ve imagined that in this building in my career. But they’re passionate fans. In my opinion, it’s the best atmosphere in hockey, and they’re knowledgeable, and they love their team, and that’s how I read into it. And after a few seconds, it was just back to focusing on the game.”— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) October 11, 2026 If he adds Montreal to his list, and that is a big if, Kent Hughes will have to put aside any unconfirmed feelings or political allegiances and have that conversation with Detroit. It might not sit well with some fans, but I doubt he’s going to let anything get in the way of improving his club, and winning in Montreal cures all things. He could force his way out of the city before his contract is up, but nobody will care if there’s a 25th banner in the rafters before that happens. Alas, this entire conversation, the chants, all of it, feels like an exercise in futility until and unless he has a change of heart. Is what he calls the “best atmosphere in hockey” a place he’d like to call home? Is the chance to help end the league’s most storied franchise’s championship drought a line he’d like in his hall of fame application? Does he want Montreal? And if he comes to that decision, I ask once more, all things considered, do we want Dylan Larkin? Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the officiating talk, this is where you’ll find it. Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and we’ll be back on Tuesday night, when the Habs will wrap up their home stand against the Buffalo Sabres.
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