Michael Hage traded to Detroit in blockbuster multi-piece Dylan Larkin deal from viral proposal

Dylan Larkin's trade saga has dragged on all summer, and Canadiens fans are getting creative with ways to bring him to Montreal.

A mock trade making the rounds this week would send a package built around top prospect Michael Hage to Detroit, with Larkin and defenseman Shai Buium heading north in return.

The proposal, shared by IceMetrix on X, has Montreal sending Hage, defenseman Adam Engstrom and a second round pick to Detroit, while the Red Wings send back Larkin and Buium.

Buium was drafted in the second round back in 2021 and currently playing for Grand Rapids in the AHL, so pairing him with Larkin in an outgoing deal lines up rather nicely.

It also gives Detroit a young NHL ready piece in Engstrom and a premium prospect in Hage, exactly the kind of return a rebuilding team would want for its captain.

Larkin requested a trade out of Detroit back in June, and his contract carries a full no trade clause this season, meaning he alone controls where he lands.

Reports indicate his approved list currently sits at four teams, Florida, Minnesota, Vegas and Dallas, and Montreal is not one of them, which is exactly why a deal like this remains hypothetical for now.

Larkin is a proven top line center, just 29 years old and signed through the 2030-31 season at an $8.7 million cap hit.

Adding him would immediately upgrade Montreal's top six.

The bigger question is whether Kent Hughes would part with Hage, one of the crown jewels of the Canadiens prospect pool, for a rental style upgrade rather than sticking with the current rebuild timeline.

For now this stays firmly in the mock trade category, but it is already sparking plenty of debate among Habs fans.

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