Dylan Larkin’s trade saga just took another wild turn, and it could get even crazier in the next 24 to 48 hours. Insider Elliotte Friedman dropped the bombshell Saturday night: Larkin is looking to make changes to his current 10-team trade list, potentially adding and removing organizations from the mix.
The List Shuffle
This isn’t the first time Larkin has shaken things up. He already expanded his acceptable destinations from three teams to 10. But Friedman’s latest update suggests a new kind of adjustment is coming. We’re talking about Larkin *removing* teams from his list, and maybe adding others, which could totally flip the script on who Detroit can actually talk to.
Right now, the 10 teams reportedly on his list are the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche. But here’s the real kicker: Friedman pointed out three destinations that are looking ‘extremely improbable’ right now. Can you believe it? Colorado, Florida, and Vegas are on that unlikely list. Think about that: Florida and Vegas were among his *original three* preferred spots! His willingness to even consider more organizations was a big deal before, a step towards getting a deal done. But hey, 10 teams on a list doesn’t automatically mean 10 real trade opportunities, does it?
Detroit’s Dilemma
So, what does this mean for the Red Wings? Their biggest headache is still finding a team Larkin will actually sign off on, and one that gives them a decent return. Larkin’s sitting on an $8.7 million annual salary-cap hit, which makes the money side of any deal super messy.
Interim GM Shawn Horcoff hasn’t been shy: he’s not rushing anything just to get it over with. The Red Wings are ready to wait as long as it takes for an acceptable return, even after Larkin got suspended without pay on Thursday. Horcoff’s looking for players who can jump in and contribute *now*, not just a pile of draft picks and prospects.
If Larkin starts adding teams that can actually meet those demands, Detroit suddenly gets some breathing room. But if he starts pulling teams off his list without adding any solid alternatives? Man, that already tough situation just got a whole lot more complicated. Friedman’s update isn’t saying a trade is happening tomorrow, and we haven’t seen any revised list confirmed yet. But buckle up, because those trade options could look totally different by Monday night.
The next 24 to 48 hours are going to be wild. Detroit is desperate for some flexibility here, and Larkin holds all the cards on which teams they can even talk to. Will he open the door to a viable solution, or slam it shut on the Red Wings’ face? We’re all waiting to see.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply