Dylan Larkin could reportedly be traded to Panthers after latest development

Florida Panthers fans got a scare Thursday night, and the rumor mill wasted no time.

Captain Aleksander Barkov went down awkwardly in a board battle during the second period of a 4-3 overtime loss at San Jose and never returned.

Coach Paul Maurice said the injury has no connection to the right knee that cost Barkov all of last season, and the team expects a clearer picture Friday afternoon.

Pete Blackburn was quick to connect the dots.

His take was that if Barkov is truly hurt again, it feels safe to assume Dylan Larkin ends up a Panther by the end of the weekend.

Larkin asked Detroit for a trade this offseason and holds a no-trade clause, so he controls where he goes.

He reportedly gave the Red Wings a short list of Florida, Minnesota and Las Vegas.

He is 30, and his $8.7 million contract runs through 2030-31.

Detroit has since stripped him of the captaincy, though he reported to camp.

Last season he scored a career-best 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games.

Nothing is close to done. Detroit never promised to honor the request, and one report says the Red Wings want a player of Larkin's caliber back rather than picks or prospects.

Larkin was also dealing with an upper-body issue when camp opened, and Steve Yzerman is no longer running the team, with the Red Wings saying Larkin's future would be revisited once new leadership arrives.

For now, everything hinges on Barkov's diagnosis.

If the news is mild, this cools off fast.

If it is not, Florida's phone will be worth watching.

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