Elliotte Friedman reveals which team he believes will land Dylan Larkin
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Dylan Larkin is suspended and waiting on a trade, and Elliotte Friedman has a theory on how Montreal could still get involved.
The Dylan Larkin saga hit a breaking point on Thursday.
The Red Wings suspended him without pay after his agent, Pat Brisson, told the team Larkin will no longer play for Detroit until he is traded.
Interim GM Shawn Horcoff said the news caught him off guard, but he's prepared to wait as long as necessary for the right return.
Larkin lost the captaincy on Sept. 11 and still holds a full no-trade clause, so he controls where he ends up.
His approved list now has ten teams: Florida, Minnesota, Vegas, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Utah, Tampa Bay, New Jersey and Colorado.
Montreal isn't on it.
Why Minnesota still leads the pack
Elliotte Friedman said on Spittin' Chiclets that he still thinks Minnesota is the most likely landing spot.
The Wild have been tied to Larkin since the trade request first leaked in June, and nothing has changed that.
Friedman also floated a Montreal theory.
If the Canadiens put together an offer Detroit truly liked, the Red Wings could bring it to Larkin and ask him to seriously consider it.
Re Dylan Larkin suitors: "I still think Minnesota; my theory on Montreal is if they made [an offer]...that Detroit really liked, they would go to Larkin and say okay, Montreal's got us a great offer...let's seriously think about it."
- Elliotte Friedman
- Elliotte Friedman
What Detroit has to weigh
The Red Wings are 6-4-3 and badly want a first-line center back in the mix, whether that's Larkin or the player they get for him.
His contract pays $8.7 million per season through 2030-31, and Horcoff admitted salary and assets have slowed talks.
Friedman noted that an injury could wreck negotiations, which helps explain why Larkin is sitting while the phones stay busy.
Pierre LeBrun reported that trade talks have escalated, though that doesn't mean a deal is close.
Montreal isn't on the list, so any deal there runs through Larkin changing his mind.
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