Red Wings continue to explore Larkin trade options — The Fourth Period
The Detroit Red Wings continue to navigate the trade waters for star centre Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade from the team this off-season.
Larkin, who has five years remaining on his contract, initially informed the Red Wings that he would only accept a trade to three teams – Florida, Minnesota & Vegas – but he appears willing to waive his no-trade clause for Dallas, as well.
On Thursday, Ansar Khan of mLive.com reported that the Stars are now among the teams on Larkin’s preferred trade list, which has been speculated about for multiple weeks after Jeff Marek suggested on The Sheet that the Stars would also be in play.
According to Khan, the Red Wings initially asked the Stars for Wyatt Johnston in exchange for Larkin, but that was a non-starter for Dallas GM Jim Nill.
The Stars are believed to be willing to move restricted free agent sniper Jason Robertson to Detroit for Larkin, but such a move would require additional pieces involved and that has resulted in multiple hurdles, including whether Robertson would sign a long-term extension with Detroit, where he spends part of his off-season.
Several other teams have expressed interest in Larkin, including the San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and New Jersey Devils, but Larkin has not yet been willing to significantly expand his list of teams, prompting Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman to declare he has not offered any guarantees to a move.
“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.”
Larkin, who remains No.1 on TFP’s latest edition of its Summer Trade Watch list, has five years remaining on his contract and comes with an $8.7 million salary cap hit. He is owed $8 million in actual salary over the next three seasons, $7.6 million in salary in 2029-30 and $7 million in 2030-31. He turns 30 on July 30.
In 74 games with the Red Wings last season, Larkin scored a career-high 34 goals and added 33 assists for 67 points, the sixth-highest of his career, to date.
Meanwhile, multiple reports suggest veteran winger Patrick Kane may not re-sign with the Red Wings, as a return to the Chicago Blackhawks has been speculated.
The Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs have also been linked to Kane, who has tallied 1,400 career points over his NHL career.
