Dylan Larkin trade speculation ignores one major problem with Montreal, Boston and Philadelphia
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Dylan Larkin has not approved Montreal, Boston or Philadelphia, and that omission is missing from the newest round of Detroit Red Wings speculation.
Jeff Marek and Max Bultman named those three as sensible landing spots on The Sheet.
Marek also floated the Seattle Kraken, and Bultman called that a tough sell.
Larkin carries a full no-movement clause with five years and $8.7 million per season remaining. His approved list has held at Florida, Minnesota, Vegas and Dallas since June, per Helene St. James and Ansar Khan.
Florida missed the playoffs last season and is still on that list.
Larkin is screening for Cup windows rather than standings, which is why Seattle keeps failing the test.
The conference math nobody is running
Montreal finished with 106 points, Boston 100 and Philadelphia 98.
Detroit watched the playoffs for a tenth straight spring.
Two of those three share Detroit's division. A team that has not qualified since 2016 does not hand its number one center to the clubs directly ahead of it.
That explains the asking price better than any cap chart does.
Detroit wants players who help immediately, which is the one thing a rival contender will not send back.
Detroit has nobody authorized to say yes
Steve Yzerman stepped down as general manager on July 15 and the search is still open. John Shannon said this week it may not be resolved until September.
Whoever gets the job inherits Simon Edvinsson's restricted free agent negotiation first and the captain's trade request second.
Training camp will not wait for either.
So the landing spot debate stays theoretical until one of two things happens.
Larkin adds a name, or Detroit hires someone with the authority to move him.
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