The Michael Hage for Dylan Larkin idea got a loud push Friday. The Canadiens should shut it down before it ever reaches Kent Hughes's desk.
Shaun Starr made the pitch on The Starr & D'Amico Show, calling Larkin “a sure thing at the 2C position.”
Jordan Decker fired back with the comparison every Habs fan should keep taped above the bench. Vegas once moved a young Nick Suzuki for the “sure thing” on Max Pacioretty.
Look at how that one aged. Suzuki is 27 and leads the Canadiens with 9 points through seven games.
He's found the net three times over his last five, power-play goal included, while too much of the forward group around him sputters.
And that's the uncomfortable part. Kirby Dach has one point and went minus-4, and Jake Evans is still waiting on his first point of the season.
Montreal sits 24th overall at 3-3-1, with 27 goals against in seven games. Patience is a harder sell when the puck keeps ending up behind your goalie.
Nick Suzuki is the warning label Kent Hughes can't ignore
Larkin carries an $8,700,000 cap hit. That's $825,000 more than Montreal pays Suzuki.
His start in Detroit has been quiet, too. One goal, three points in five games, with an even rating.
The Red Wings have scored just 16 goals all season. Montreal already beat them 1-0 in a shootout on October 10.
Decker's point cuts deeper than any stat line. He framed it as a 20-year-old who dreamed of wearing the CH against a 30-year-old who'd need convincing.
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Making that deal is selling the orchard to buy a crate of apples. Great for one winter, and then what?
It's a bad trade for Montreal. Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky are both 22, and Ivan Demidov is 20, on injured reserve until at least October 31.
Hage would hit his stride right alongside that group. Larkin's best years would be spent waiting for them to catch up.
The Canadiens host the Sabres tonight, coming off a 5-4 loss in Washington on Wednesday.
Hughes doesn't have to answer the Larkin question tonight. But every soft night down the middle makes the phone ring a little louder.
Would you trade Michael Hage for Dylan Larkin today?
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