(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Adding a player like Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin would be a massive boost to any roster. For the reigning Western Conference champions, whose center depth, due to injury, proved too thin in the Stanley Cup Final, it would be especially significant. While the Golden Knights would love to make room for Larkin, the Red Wings haven’t been enticed enough to move their top forward. While the details are unknown, it was reported that Detroit isn’t interested in any trade offered by Vegas this summer.
It’s not surprising that the Golden Knights made an offer, and it’s also not a shock that the Red Wings organization hung up the phone. As they should, Vegas will try and take advantage that Larkin only wants to play for them and a few other locations. However, it doesn’t look like Detroit will cave to their captain’s trade demands, which likely won’t fare well for the Golden Knights.
Along with Vegas, Larkin’s other desired locations have come up short as well, leaving some to believe that Detroit plans on listening to offers but are fully comfortable forcing their disgruntled captain to return home for training camp. With that mentality, it would be hard to envision any offer from Vegas being enough to sweep Detroit off its feet.
Dylan has five years remaining on his contract. My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that. I cannot make any guarantees, or did not make any guarantees, that request could or would be met. -Steve Yzerman, DET general manager
For Vegas to acquire Larkin, it would take multiple trades. First, the Golden Knights would need to find ways to carve out some salary. Adin Hill and Tomas Hertl seem to be the leading candidates there, but Detroit will want no part of either. So far, it appears not many teams are ready to step up for these sorts of trades or else both would likely be gone by now. After shedding enough salary, the Golden Knights would then have to package quality NHL players from their current roster.
I think Yzerman wants current players like Dylan Larkin; he doesn’t just want futures. Yzerman thinks that no trade is better than a bad trade, and I had a few people say if Yzerman believes the right thing to do is start the year with Larkin based on what he’s getting offered, then he’ll do it –Elliotte Freidman on 32 Thoughts Podcast
Even if Vegas clears enough room for Larkin, which players in their lineup are they willing to package together? Is Detroit looking for a bundle of players that could include Noah Hanifin, Brett Howden, William Karlsson, or Shea Theodore? And now for the hard question: are there any Golden Knights the Red Wings are willing to trade for at all? The lack of activity between both franchises, the answer seems to be no.
Unfortunately, the Larkin to Vegas conversation will continue until the disgruntled player widens his list of desirable teams (which apparently he added Dallas today) or gets traded to another NHL hockeytown.
