Colby Cohen has a strong message for Red Wings fans about a Dylan Larkin-Cutter Gauthier trade

The idea of pairing Dylan Larkin with Cutter Gauthier in a hockey trade will always get people talking, especially with both names sitting at the center of their own unresolved sagas.

Larkin has been open about wanting a fresh start away from Detroit, and while the front office hasn't found a deal that meets its price, his full no trade clause means nothing happens unless he signs off on it.

Gauthier, meanwhile, is stuck in his own standoff, having turned down a four year, $52 million offer from Anaheim as the Ducks scramble to clear enough cap room to get a deal done before December.

Both players represent very different kinds of value.

Larkin is a proven number one center in his prime, a former captain who has carried the offensive and leadership load in Detroit for a decade.

Gauthier is younger, cheaper for now, and coming off a 40 goal, 69 point season that made him one of the most productive wingers in the league.

On paper it is easy to see why fans daydream about a swap, but Colby Cohen made it clear he does not see it as an even exchange.

Cohen's take lines up with how a lot of analysts view Larkin's ceiling versus Gauthier's still developing two way game.

Larkin brings faceoffs, penalty killing and a track record that Gauthier simply has not built yet.

For Detroit, any Larkin trade will likely require a center in return, not a winger, no matter how productive.

For Anaheim, the priority right now is locking up Gauthier before his holdout drags into the season.

Neither situation points toward this specific trade actually happening, but it says plenty about where each player stands around the league.

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