An injury to Aleksander Barkov could do more than shake up the Florida Panthers’ center depth. It may also reopen a familiar name in the Dylan Larkin conversation.
Barkov missed all of last season after surgery for a torn ACL and MCL, and his awkward fall Thursday immediately set off alarms because of how closely it resembled that previous injury. Panthers coach Paul Maurice said the latest issue is unrelated to Barkov’s old knee problem, but if Florida winds up putting him on LTIR, the ripple effects could be significant.
That would leave the Panthers with a major hole down the middle and, just as importantly, the cap space to chase Larkin. The Detroit captain reportedly has Florida on his list of preferred destinations, though the Panthers have not had a clear reason to swing for a move of that size. A long-term Barkov absence could change that quickly.
Even then, the real question is what Florida would be willing to give up. The Panthers do not appear eager to part with Anton Lundell, while Detroit’s side would be looking for players who can jump right into the lineup.
Elsewhere, Gary Bettman has put no-trade clauses back under the microscope. The NHL commissioner said the protections were meant for players who accepted long-term deals or team-friendly contracts in exchange for stability, not to let them control where a trade goes after asking for one. He suggested that if summers like this past one keep popping up, the league may need to sit down with the NHLPA.
Brad Marchand didn’t let that go unanswered. He called the system “broken” and said the issue cuts both ways, questioning why teams can decide they want to move a player after signing him to a long-term contract, while the player can’t seek a change of his own.
The debate lands right in the middle of several recent trade situations. Larkin reportedly has only a limited list of preferred destinations, Brady Tkachuk wanted Florida, and Connor Hellebuyck has reportedly preferred a U.S. destination.
In Edmonton, the early defensive mess is turning the heat up on Jake Walman. The Oilers’ blue line has been shaky enough that Walman’s place is suddenly under scrutiny after a rough start.
He played just over 13 minutes Thursday, and while Got Yer’ Back’s Ryan Rishaug said he would not healthy-scratch Walman after one bad game, co-host Rob Brown made the case that if there is a time to sit a player projected for the top four, this might be it. Martin Biron added that the problems are not just about goaltending, pointing to the amount of Grade-A chances, breakaways, rebounds, screens, and scrums Edmonton has allowed.
Mark Spector also called out Walman during Edmonton’s 9-7 win over Vancouver, and Dennis King suggested Walman may not get the same patience Darnell Nurse eventually lost in Edmonton. Walman arrived at camp expecting a bigger role. Right now, that opportunity looks a lot less secure.
In Other News...
Red Wings Suddenly Have Two Core Roster Questions Fans Cant Ignore
A week that was supposed to bring some clarity for the Red Wings instead left the front office juggling a pair of sensitive roster conversations. General manager Shawn Horcoff recently sat down with Simon Edvinsson and his agent to talk through both contract and trade possibilities, a sign of how far the negotiations have drifted and how much attention the young defenseman is suddenly drawing around the league.
Edvinsson's situation is only part of the concern in Detroit, where trade discussions involving Dylan Larkin have also picked up in recent days. The combination puts the Red Wings in an awkward spot, with key pieces of the roster now tied to uncertainty at a time when the organization would rather be building momentum than answering questions about who might still be around when the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Insider Just Added New Tension To The Dylan Larkin Standoff
Jim Devellanos latest comments offered a familiar mix of patience and urgency around the Red Wings rebuild. The senior vice president and alternate governor pointed to the teams defense as a source of optimism, while also acknowledging the heavier lift up front, where Detroit still needs more impact scoring to keep the rebuild moving in the right direction. He also leaned on the franchises past draft success and previous turnaround efforts as proof that this kind of reset can work, even if the current NHL makes it a tougher road than it used to be.
The part that will stick with Red Wings fans, though, is the unresolved Dylan Larkin situation. Devellano addressed the lingering trade-request storyline in the same conversation, and while the relationship appears to have been smoothed over on the surface, the larger question around Larkins status remains hanging over the roster picture. For a team trying to build around a core while adding the right pieces, any uncertainty involving its captain only adds another layer to an already delicate stage of the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Suddenly Have A Goalie Question Fans Will Notice
A fresh wrinkle has turned up in the Red Wings goalie picture, with Grand Rapids netminder Postava joining Detroit on the clubs west coast trip. The move leaves the Griffins reshuffling in a hurry, where backup Jamie Phillips was signed to a professional tryout in the wake of Postavas departure, a sign that the organization needed another body ready to step in at the AHL level.
The reason for the call-up is still a little murky, which is part of what makes it worth watching as the trip unfolds. It is not yet clear whether Detroit is responding to an injury issue in its crease or simply rewarding Postava for how he has handled himself in Grand Rapids, but either way the Red Wings now have a goaltending situation that could change quickly depending on what happens next. [Read more 🡒]