The list hasn’t changed for Dylan Larkin, so is it keeping him in a Detroit Red Wings jersey longer than he’d like?
The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston talking about the Dylan Larkin situation, his list and whether he’ll be in a Detroit Red Wings jersey come January 1st, 2027.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Julian McKenzie: “This next follow-up question might be a moot point because of course, the Red Wings need to figure out their GM situation. But if you’re Dylan Larkin, we know what’s been out there in terms of, at least what’s been reported for teams he would be potentially interested in going to. Minnesota came up, Florida came up, Vegas came up, Dallas came up. Is that list still the same, or has that expanded in any way?”
Johnston: “I don’t believe it’s expanded. I think he’s largely focused on, you know, the teams that he’s been willing to wait for. You know, I think Minnesota is a team from that list that remains very interested, highly motivated to try to find a way to get him.
What hasn’t changed, I suppose, over the summer is the Wild’s still don’t have a ton in reserve to trade for someone like Dylan Larkin, in part because of the deal they made for Quinn Hughes. Just in part because I think the Red Wings, to make this trade, need to make sure they’re getting back a player that can help right now too.
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And, you know, the Wild have to evaluate if they’re giving up something off their roster. Are they, is it really worth the gamble, right? Is it really, is it really worth it if you’re not clearly getting better?
And so, you know, as for where this goes, it’s so hard to predict because I don’t know who the GM is going to be. I mean, I think, I think it becomes, the situation becomes a little more focused once we know who that person is.
But you know, obviously Detroit has kind of been knocked at the door of the playoffs. You know, they’ve just seen Montreal and Buffalo in the last two years. With Montreal’s case, obviously, last season with Buffalo knock down that door and make it in at the Atlantic.
Like I, I don’t think the Red Wings are going to be looking to retreat on purpose. Certainly, that won’t be the organizational plan under the next GM. So there’s going to be pressure to win now, and so I feel like the Larkin trade is one they can’t lose.
And look, he’s already, he’s coming back to camp because, look, if a player doesn’t report to camp, he doesn’t get paid. You’re in violation of your contract. And so even though these trade requests are out there, as with all the time, lots of times trade requests are made a little more privately and don’t get out in the public realm. But they don’t get honored right away, and that’s because, you know, you can’t afford to give away your best players for nothing.”
Producer Drew: “So let’s say from both of you guys, January 1st, 2027, they have a general manager. If you had to pick what jersey Dylan Larkin’s wearing, what is it? Is it a Detroit Red Wings jersey?”
Johnston: “I’ll go Detroit.”
McKenzie: “January 21st, 2027.”
Johnston: “I mean, I, you’ve picked a good date because look, it’s clearly going to start that way, but you know, it’s not a great situation now. I mean, it’s it’s kind of like, it’s kind of like your marriage broke up, but you’re still living under the same roof a little bit. So I mean, it’s it’s not the most easy thing to navigate.
But I still, you know, I think Minnesota is probably the most likely landing spot. But it’s just, it’s, it’s hard for me to figure out what trade makes sense with, between those teams. Like what what can really get it done where Detroit says, ‘Yeah, okay, we’ll, we’ll pull the trigger on that.’
But we also have to see what happens with Quinn Hughes too. Maybe that maybe things change depending on the Quinn Hughes situation. So in a weird way, all this stuff could end up being tied together depending on how everything shakes out.”
…
McKenzie: “To answer your question, Drew, I say he’ll still be a Red Wing on January 1st. Unless, unless things get so bad where it’s just untenable and Dylan Larkin is just that upset. And then maybe you’re in a really wild situation where he’s just ,just gonna stay home.
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But I think he’s just gonna play this out. I think with the fact that he still has all those years left on his contract, the Red Wings don’t need to pressure themselves into making a bad deal.
I think come the new year, at the risk of being wrong, he will still be a Detroit Red Wing. Maybe he gets traded next offseason or something, unless something happens in the next coming days. Who knows? I don’t know.”
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