The hockey world was hit with a bombshell on Thursday afternoon before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, there's a situation brewing in Detroit, Michigan, involving one of their most important players. While, in Friedman's words, no one was willing to talk about it, Red Wings center and captain Dylan Larkin is requesting a trade.
During his 11 seasons with the Red Wings, Larkin has been one of the strongest heartbeats of the team. Larkin has scored 30+ goals six times, including each of the last five seasons, and has hit 70 points three times. He had 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games last season to go with his Olympic Gold Medal. Larkin is a three-time All Star and has served as the Red Wings' captain since 2020.
Next season will be the fourth year of an eight-year deal that Larkin signed in 2023. He's set to make $8.7 million against the cap. The biggest hinderance to a deal happening, outside of any potential pushback from General Manager Steve Yzerman, is that he has a full no-trade clause for the next two years before it becomes a 10-team no-trade list in 2028.
To call this news shocking would be an understatement, but it's slightly understandable, given the Red Wings' current situation. Detroit hasn't qualified for the postseason since Larkin's rookie season in 2015-16, losing in five games to Tampa Bay in the first round. Since then, it has been a decade of close calls and no playoffs in the Motor City, leading to plenty of frustration.
The Canes might not need another center, but they'll poke around
Three months ago, I would have told you that the Carolina Hurricanes are in the market for a second-line center. In fact, I probably said it once or twice at the deadline. However, Logan Stankoven's surge at the end of the regular season and into the postseason has us all changing our tunes quite a bit. He is one of the top goal scorers of the playoffs on one of the best lines in the league.
That being said, General Manager Eric Tulsky is not afraid to take some big swings. If he sees a chance for the team to get better, he's absolutely going to take it. Regardless of how interested the Hurricanes are, there's likely to be some chatter placing the Canes in the mix to acquire Larkin. At the very least, there will be an offer placed on the table.
This isn't the type of deal where the Canes will float Jesperi Kotkaniemi out there as a potential cap dump. It is going to take something a little bigger to get a trade done. I'm not saying it'll involve Bradly Nadeau or Alexander Nikishin, but it might take a top-end prospect or two and a few draft picks, which will need to be future picks, given the Canes' lack of capital for the upcoming draft.
I'm urging my fellow Caniacs not to get too rowdy and to avoid buying your Dylan Larkin sweaters. The Hurricanes should open as longshots in the Larkin sweepstakes, but it doesn't mean that they won't be involved. It's the Carolina way, after all. It'll make for a very interesting few weeks heading into the draft, where I expect this situation to come to a head before the first pick is made.
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