Dylan Larkin's 10-team trade list just got a significant update
Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Dylan Larkin's trade saga in Detroit may have just gained some breathing room. A fresh update suggests the Red Wings captain is prepared to relax the restrictions that have complicated every possible deal.
Insider Chris Johnston relayed the latest on the situation.
There seems to be some indications that [he's] willing to even go a bit beyond 10 [teams] if necessary
That matters because the current protection has been Detroit's biggest roadblock. The clubs widely reported on the list are Florida, Minnesota, Vegas, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Utah, Tampa Bay, New Jersey and Colorado.
Pierre LeBrun has described the group as contenders unwilling to gut their cores, while Detroit has pushed for immediate help instead of a futures-only package.
Why More Suitors Change the Math
Every extra destination adds competition, and competition is exactly what a seller wants. Montreal has been the loudest name outside the group, with reports that the Canadiens have an offer ready.
Yet LeBrun noted the list had not changed to include them, and Darren Dreger has suggested an addition would have happened by now.
What Happens Next
Johnston's wording is careful. Willing is not the same as committed, and no new team has been confirmed. Still, David Pagnotta has said there has been traction and that something could surface before the end of the month.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff now holds the pen on a captain who has heard boos from his own fans this season. Owner Chris Ilitch has publicly backed Larkin, yet the market keeps gathering steam.
Minnesota has reportedly pitched a futures-based deal, while Philadelphia, absent from the reported ten, has been mentioned as a team that would jump at the chance.
For Detroit, the calculation is simple. A wider list means a bigger pool of bidders, and a bigger pool gives Horcoff a better chance to land the roster help he wants rather than picks and prospects.
For Larkin, flexibility could finally end a situation that has hung over the team. The next question is which club emerges.
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