DETROIT — Dylan Larkin has expanded his trade destination list to seven teams as he continues to pursue a move away from the Detroit Red Wings, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast. The Minnesota Wild remain among the approved destinations as the market for the Detroit captain widens.
Friedman said the list has grown beyond what was initially reported. "One of the things I heard about Larkin is that there are more teams that he's willing to go to than what have been reported," Friedman said. "I think some of the other teams there are Colorado, Washington, and I suspect, in case people didn't know them already, Dallas and Tampa." The full reported list now includes the Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and the Washington Capitals.
Not all seven are viewed as realistic landing spots. The Panthers and Golden Knights are considered unlikely partners as they lack future assets to make a deal work and likely do not want to part with NHL veterans, while the Stars and Avalanche are described as fairly happy with their rosters and also lacking tradeable assets, though they could still find a way to make a deal work. The Capitals and the Wild are identified as the most interesting teams that could make a trade with the Red Wings work.
The expansion adds competition and leverage for Detroit. With two more teams able to discuss trades, the Red Wings have gained leverage and could demand more or better assets, which is where the Wild will be most affected. Trade discussions between Minnesota and Detroit had seemingly gone silent, but questions have emerged about whether talks could intensify following the captaincy strip of Larkin. The wider list does not end Minnesota's chances of acquiring Larkin, but it raises the asking price and the difficulty, a trend also explored in Hellebuyck and Larkin Want Out as Player Empowerment Grows.