NHL Insider Frank Seravalli’s Week 1 Diary: Canadiens Eye Dylan Larkin, Flyers Explore Trade Options

The opening week of the NHL season is already stirring front-office chatter, with executives assessing early roster fits, scouting the trade market, and taking the temperature on marquee targets.

The Montreal Canadiens Would Love to Secure Dylan Larkin

In a season with aspirations for a parade down Rue Stanley, the Canadiens’ pursuit of a 25th Stanley Cup Championship includes a plan to take a big swing between now and March 1.

Montreal has already attempted to secure Kirill Marchenko. However, the Canadiens ultimately weren’t willing to part with Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov or Cole Caufield, which is why Matthew Knies now plays in Columbus.

Sources say the Canadiens offered a package for Marchenko believed to include two forwards and one defenseman from their current NHL roster, a first-round pick, as well as another conditional pick that could convert into a first-rounder.

Now their attention has turned to Dylan Larkin, who has cautiously expanded his list of acceptable trade destinations. However, that list does not include any of Canada’s seven franchises – much to the chagrin of Montreal.

“Larkin could end this saga tomorrow if he added the Canadiens to his list,” one NHL front-office executive said of the trade stalemate. “Who cares if they’re in the same division? They are the one team with a chance to contend that can also give Detroit what it wants for Larkin.”

For now, let’s see how long the Larkin saga drags on. In a few months, his list of acceptable destinations has already doubled in size.

The Canadiens worked to convince free agent Chris Kreider; his relationship with Marty St. Louis and Jeff Gorton won out. Larkin would make one quarter of the Habs’ roster American-born by joining Kreider, Caufield, Lane Hutson and Jayden Struble.

Short Preseason Crushed Lingering Free Agents

If there was one casualty to the NHL’s first shortened preseason, it crushed the veteran free agents searching for deals late in the summer and mostly eliminated professional tryout (PTO) players.

“I don’t know about other teams, but my roster was mostly set in August, and there wasn’t any extra room to come into camp and earn a spot,” one Western Conference GM said. “We didn’t have the luxury of time this year.”

That’s why talented vets such as Vladimir Tarasenko, David Perron, James van Riemsdyk, Jonathan Drouin and Reilly Smith remain unsigned.

For the first time in years, it wasn’t because of cap space. Teams had to make a decision earlier in the summer and they didn’t want to close off an opportunity for a young player.

“We didn’t want an older guy to block the path of a young player,” the GM added. “We spend so much time developing them, we need them in our lineup. The last thing we want is for them to not see an opening. If it doesn’t work out or they can’t play, we can always add later.”

Van Riemsdyk had contact with two teams in September leading into camp. Perron continues to receive expressions of interest, including one this week.

Flames Struggled to Find a Role for Zary

Connor Zary was one of the biggest names to hit the waiver wire out of training camp. Monday’s move to waivers not only sent a shot across the bow to the Flames’ locker room after a lifeless start to the season, but it was a reminder of the importance of role and fit.

Yes, Zary was seeking a change of scenery and the Flames tried to accommodate over the summer. They were originally seeking a second round pick but that did not materialize.

Instead, Zary struggled to carve out a role in coach Ryan Huska’s lineup. The Flames didn’t see Zary as a bottom-six lineup contributor, and he wasn’t producing consistently enough to merit top-six consideration and ice time. He’s expected to be sent to the AHL Wranglers upon clearing waivers on Tuesday.

Flyers Monitoring Defense Market

After falling out of the gate with an 0-2-2 start, the Flyers have begun perusing the defense market to provide better support for goaltenders Dan Vladar and Joseph Woll.

Sources indicated the Flyers are focused on blue liners with added size. Internally, the Flyers felt their blue line likely overachieved last season, knowing it would be a point of emphasis this year as they tried to take another step forward.

The team does not currently have plans to extend defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s contract, who missed Monday’s game in Tampa, as he is in the final year of his deal. 

He will be one of the leading trade deadline commodities – perhaps even sooner if the Flyers continue to struggle.

Similarly, teams are monitoring the deployment of David Jiricek, who was acquired last spring on deadline day in a straight-up swap for Bobby Brink. 

One opposing pro scout in particular was disappointed to not see Jiricek featured in the lineup for the first two games of the season. 

The Flyers have been patient with Jiricek’s deployment, but it’s noteworthy that there is intrigue in the 22-year-old’s game.