Dylan Larkin’s trade list has grown by one, and the new entry is the Dallas Stars.
According to Ansar Khan of MLive, Larkin had previously been willing to consider only the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman wasn’t satisfied with what those teams were offering and had been pushing for more flexibility.
Sources say Larkin did expand the list, but only to add Dallas. One source said the Red Wings asked the Stars for center Wyatt Johnston.
Dallas is also part of another name the Pittsburgh Penguins are still watching. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that the Penguins remain open to the idea of trading for Stars forward Jason Robertson, even after Dallas already brought in his brother, Nick.
A Penguins source said Robertson would want a long-term deal with the Stars, and while Pittsburgh has checked in with Dallas about him, the Stars are not especially interested at this point. Robertson has filed for salary arbitration.
The Penguins are still shopping in the same lane: useful NHL players who won’t cost much. That approach also showed up in their handling of defenseman Ryan Shea.
He didn’t receive a serious offer from Pittsburgh before free agency opened and instead signed a five-year, $20 million deal with the Oilers. A source said Shea was surprised the Penguins weren’t interested in bringing him back.
In Anaheim, the Ducks have created a different kind of problem for themselves. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reported that after matching the Leo Carlsson offer sheet, the Ducks will have just under $10 million available to re-sign 22-year-old forward Cutter Gauthier.
That number isn’t going to get the job done. The Ducks won’t be able to sign Gauthier for under $10 million.
That leaves GM Pat Verbeek with a salary squeeze, and the options aren’t clean. Frank Vatrano has two years left at a $4.57 million cap hit, plus deferred money, and he’s one possible trade piece. Chris Kreider carries a $6.5 million cap hit and Alex Killorn sits at $6.25 million, but both have 15-team no-trade clauses, and the sense is the Ducks would rather not move either veteran.
E.J. Hradek put it bluntly: “I suspect they’ll move one or more of Chris Krieder (1 yr, $6.5M), Alex Killorn (1 yr, 6.25M) and/or Frank Vetrano (2 yr, $4.57M) to create more room.
Might have to attach a draft pick to any deal. Lesson: Take care of your business ASAP!
This didn’t have to go this way.”
In Other News...
Ducks May Be Headed For Another Costly Frank Vatrano Dilemma
The Ducks are again trying to navigate one of the trickier parts of roster building: finding a home for Frank Vatranos contract without turning the deal into a bigger problem than the one they started with. His contract structure has made him a name to watch in trade chatter, and Anaheim has at least checked in on the market while other clubs around the league continue to weigh cap space, draft assets and roster needs.
Vancouver has come up in the conversation, but the broader picture is the same one that has followed several Ducks trade discussions lately. Moving money in todays NHL often means attaching value to make the math work, and Anaheim may have to decide how much it is willing to include if it wants to clear the deck. Around the league, the same calculus is shaping rumors involving Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and Jason Robertson, with teams all looking for the right blend of fit, flexibility and future picks. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Just Faced Their Biggest Young Core Decision Yet
The Ducks have spent much of this offseason trying to turn a promising young roster into something more durable, and the latest bit of business came with real stakes for the long term. Anaheim had a decision to make on restricted free-agent center Leo Carlsson, one of the most important pieces in the organizations next core, after Philadelphia stepped in with an offer sheet that forced the issue.
For a team trying to build around its youth, this was never just about one contract. The Ducks had to weigh the value of keeping a high-end center in place against the broader ripple effects of an offer sheet, including how it would shape their future flexibility and the message it sent about protecting their own talent. One important wrinkle in the agreement also stands out, with a no-movement clause attached for the final year, a detail that underscores how much leverage comes with a player Anaheim clearly views as central to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Verbeek May Have Backed The Ducks Into A Brutal Corner
The Ducks had to match an offer sheet to keep Leo Carlsson in Anaheim, a move that says as much about the market as it does about their own planning. What should have been a straightforward extension for a cornerstone young center turned into another reminder of how quickly leverage can shift when negotiations linger and the price of waiting keeps climbing.
For Pat Verbeek, the problem is bigger than one contract. Anaheim still has other young players due for new deals, and the clubs cap room is already under pressure after a series of delays and a defense that looks thinner than it should for a team trying to climb back into relevance. The Ducks can survive one expensive correction, but the next round of negotiations may be where the real squeeze begins. [Read more 🡒]