Story Summary
Three separate market threads are in focus as the season approaches, with Carson Soucy’s Columbus Blue Jackets trial, reported Edmonton Oilers interest in Kirby Dach and Dylan Larkin’s Detroit Red Wings trade request all carrying different levels of certainty.
The most immediate situation is in Columbus. Soucy remains in camp on a professional tryout, and a contract is reportedly becoming more likely as the Blue Jackets deal with injuries to Dante Fabbro and Damon Severson. Head coach Rick Bowness praised the defenceman’s camp work, saying Soucy has played very well and is providing what the club needs.
Elsewhere, the Oilers have been linked with Canadiens forward Kirby Dach. Frank Seravalli described Edmonton’s interest as particularly strong, while also framing any potential move as a possibility for before the season, at the March 1 trade deadline or next summer. That remains a report rather than a completed transaction.
Larkin’s situation is more established: he requested a trade after last season and Shawn Horcoff is serving as Detroit’s interim general manager. The latest reporting suggests Larkin’s acceptable-trade list has grown to around eight clubs, although several teams outside that list have also registered interest. There is no indication that a deal has been completed.
Key Facts
- Carson Soucy is in Columbus Blue Jackets camp on a professional tryout, with a contract reportedly becoming possible.
- The Blue Jackets are dealing with injuries to defencemen Dante Fabbro and Damon Severson.
- Rick Bowness said Columbus has been very happy with Soucy’s camp performance and described him as fitting a team need.
- A possible Kirill Marchenko trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs was also mentioned, with a Blue Jackets defenceman potentially involved; this remains rumour.
- Edmonton have reportedly shown substantial interest in Montréal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach.
- The Dach report named three possible windows for any Oilers move: before the season, at the March 1 trade deadline or next summer.
- Dylan Larkin requested a trade after last season, and Shawn Horcoff is Detroit’s interim general manager.
- Larkin’s trade list has reportedly expanded to around eight teams.
- Montréal, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Carolina and San Jose are reportedly among clubs that have shown interest despite not being on Larkin’s list.
- Detroit have reportedly rejected proposals from Boston and Minnesota, while seeking a return that is not centred on futures.
IHM Discussion
These reports should not be treated as one market story with one shared conclusion. Soucy is a short-term roster decision built around a player already in a team’s camp. Dach is a reported target whose timing and availability are unconfirmed. Larkin is a known trade-request situation, but the eventual destination, return and timetable remain unresolved.
For Columbus, the case for Soucy is straightforward in practical terms. A professional tryout gives the club an in-person look at how he fits during camp, while the injuries to Fabbro and Severson create a stated need on the blue line. Bowness’ public assessment adds weight to the possibility of a deal, but it does not amount to a signing. Until a contract is announced, Soucy remains a tryout player.
The Marchenko element requires even more caution. The report raises the possibility that a Columbus defenceman could be part of a Toronto transaction, but gives no proposed package, no confirmed negotiation and no indication that a trade is close. It is a secondary rumour rather than evidence of an imminent move.
Edmonton’s reported interest in Dach is similarly specific in name but broad in timing. Dach remains a Canadiens player, and the one-year contract he signed for 2026-27 means any move would require the clubs to reach a deal.
Detroit’s Larkin file contains the most active transactional detail, but it is also constrained. The reported expansion of his list could increase the number of workable destinations, while interest from teams outside it does not automatically make those clubs viable options. Larkin’s list still matters, as does the reported need to balance money in and money out. Detroit’s reported preference against a futures-led return also explains why the search for a suitable deal may take time.
Why It Matters
The common thread is roster flexibility, but each club is approaching it from a different position.
Columbus may need immediate defensive cover. Soucy’s camp performance gives the Blue Jackets a low-risk evaluation route, and the injuries to Fabbro and Severson make that evaluation more relevant. A contract would be a direct response to a current depth concern; without one, Columbus would be relying on its existing options while it manages those absences.
For Edmonton, Dach represents a reported longer-range target rather than a confirmed pre-season addition. The timing matters because the report itself leaves open three very different paths: an early move, a deadline move or a discussion after the season. That uncertainty prevents any firm conclusion about Edmonton’s opening roster.
Larkin’s case has wider market consequences because a trade involving a player with an approved list, substantial contractual considerations and Detroit’s stated preference for a certain type of return is unlikely to be simple. Interested teams need both a fit for Larkin and a structure Detroit will accept. Reported interest alone does not resolve either issue.
IHM Market Outlook
Columbus is the clearest situation to monitor in the immediate term because Soucy is already in camp and Bowness has publicly endorsed his play. The key distinction is simple: encouragement from a coach can support the logic of a signing, but it is not confirmation that terms have been agreed.
The Oilers-Dach report is a watch-list item, not a transaction tracker. Edmonton’s interest has been described in strong language, but no deal mechanics have been reported. Montréal’s position, the Oilers’ potential offer and the point at which either club would consider a move are all unknown.
Larkin’s market is defined less by a lack of reported interest than by the limitations around a deal. The clubs reportedly interested but outside his list are not automatically destinations. Among teams on the list, cap constraints reportedly narrow the possibilities further. Detroit may prefer an established-player return, but the report also allows for the possibility that it ultimately accepts a futures-based package. Those are competing possibilities, not a settled direction.
Mini Q&A
Has Carson Soucy signed with the Blue Jackets?
No. Soucy is in Columbus camp on a professional tryout, and a contract has been reported as possible but has not been confirmed.
Are the Oilers acquiring Kirby Dach?
No deal has been confirmed. Edmonton’s interest in Dach has been reported, with possible timing discussed before the season, at the March 1 trade deadline or next summer.
Has Dylan Larkin been traded by Detroit?
No. Larkin requested a trade after last season, but no completed trade has been announced.
Which teams have reportedly shown interest in Larkin outside his list?
Montréal, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Carolina and San Jose were named as clubs that have shown interest despite not being on his reported list.
Coach Mark Comment
Soucy’s camp case is easiest to understand through defensive workload rather than reputation. With two Columbus defencemen reported injured, the coaching staff’s assessment that he is supplying a needed element matters because it relates directly to what can be trusted in the team environment. A tryout player who can handle the pace and structure of camp gives coaches an option; the remaining question is whether the club converts that option into a contract.
What Comes Next
The next formal league-wide checkpoint named in the Dach report is the March 1 trade deadline. That date does not establish that Edmonton and Montréal will make a deal, but it is one of the timelines specifically attached to the reported Oilers interest. In Columbus, the immediate checkpoint is whether the club turns Soucy’s professional tryout into a contract. Detroit’s next meaningful development would be a trade agreement or a further update on Larkin’s status; neither has been announced.
IHM Final View
The responsible reading of this market update is that only some of its foundations are confirmed. Soucy is in Columbus on a professional tryout, Larkin has requested a trade and Horcoff is Detroit’s interim general manager. Beyond that, the possible Soucy signing, the Marchenko scenario, Edmonton’s pursuit of Dach and the details of Larkin negotiations remain reported developments rather than completed NHL business.
That does not make the reports insignificant. Columbus have a clear reason to evaluate Soucy closely, Edmonton have been linked with a named Canadiens forward, and Detroit’s Larkin situation has a reported list, cap considerations and rejected offers behind it. But none should be advanced beyond the evidence currently available.