Lucky 7: Which Team Will Get Dylan Larkin In Trade With Red Wings?

The Dylan Larkin trade watch continues, with no real movement or progress to speak of. Larkin wants to go, and the Red Wings are open to moving him. However, they’re working to find a deal that satisfies both the front office and their star center’s list of preferred destinations. That’s easier said than done, especially considering Larkin hasn’t really expanded his original list.

---

Larkin, who requested a trade this offseason, initially limited his list to three teams — Florida, Minnesota, and Vegas. He’s remained steadfast with that list until recently, when it was reported he added the Dallas Stars. According to Ansar Khan of mLive.com, the Stars have been speculated as a potential fit for weeks, but they’re now officially on his list.

The Dallas conversation, however, can’t go anywhere until things get solved with Jason Robertson. He’s either moved back to Detroit as part of the trade or he’s dealt elsewhere, giving Dallas the cap space it will need to bring Larkin in. There’s also the not-so-small fact that Detroit asked for center Wyatt Johnston, which was a non-starter for Dallas GM Jim Nill.

If Robertson isn’t willing to sign in Detroit and Nill isn’t willing to send Johnston in the trade, there may not be much to work with there.

3 More Teams Trying to Get Involved in Larkin Trade Talks

Beyond Larkin’s four listed teams, several other clubs have shown interest despite not making his preferred list. That includes the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and New Jersey Devils. So far, Larkin hasn’t indicated any willingness to expand his list to include those teams.

The question becomes, how eager is Larkin to move on? We already know that Yzerman is holding firm. Will the player budge?

“My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that,” Yzerman said last month. “I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met.”

The stakes for both sides are significant. Larkin, who turns 30 on July 30, is signed for five more years at an $8.7 million cap hit, with a real salary of $8 million over the next three seasons, then $7.6 million, and finally $7 million in the final two years. He’s coming off a career year, posting a personal-best 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points in 74 games — his sixth-highest point total to date.

So who gets him? Is it one of his three preferred teams? Is it the Stars, whom he just recently added? Or does he need to expand his list to include one of the three teams that want in but haven’t been approved yet?

Next: Who Really Holds the Power with the Maple Leafs?