The Detroit Red Wings may already have had a serious Dylan Larkin offer land on the table - and still not been able to touch it.
On Monday, NHL insider Chris Johnston said on his podcast, “I think the Buffalo Sabres made a pretty big offer at one point here in the last few weeks.” But the key detail wasn’t the size of the package. Johnston said the Sabres “were told basically it’s just not something they can do because Larkin isn’t waiving to go there.”
That’s the kind of roadblock that changes the whole conversation. Buffalo was willing to make a real push, but Larkin’s no-trade clause gave him the final say. His $8.7 million contract runs through 2030-31, and the 10 teams he has approved are Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington.
The Sabres’ interest didn’t come out of nowhere. After the list expanded, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had checked in on the former captain’s status. Johnston’s report took that a step further by showing Buffalo moved beyond curiosity and into serious offer territory.
That matters for Detroit because it shows the market isn’t just about which teams can afford Larkin. It’s also about which teams are willing to pay and whether he’ll let them in. At least one club outside the approved group was ready to make a strong bid.
It’s easy to understand why. Larkin has scored 30 goals six times and sits 10th in franchise history with 649 points in 818 games.
He also had two goals and four assists in 10 games this season before leaving the team. Detroit has been clear about what it wants back, too.
Friedman said on Oct. 22 that the Red Wings had started asking about young centres in trade talks, and that means the best return is going to come from the team most willing to meet that ask.
The approved list, though, is not nearly as wide open as it looks on paper. On Oct. 31, Friedman said “some teams like Florida and Vegas, even Colorado, it’s very hard to see (a trade) happening, if not impossible,” as MLive’s Ansar Khan reported.
Other teams on the list come with their own issues. Washington had little projected space earlier this season, and Minnesota has already made multiple offers.
But The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote that “the issue for Detroit seems to be the lack of immediate NHL talent in those offers, which are more futures-based” (from ‘NHL rumblings: Breaking down Larkin’s 10-team list, plus latest on Robertson and Edvinsson,’ The Athletic, Oct. 29, 2026).
So even with 10 approved destinations, the realistic pool is much smaller. That’s why an outside bidder like Buffalo is so important to Detroit, even if it can’t get through right now.
The Sabres aren’t the only club on the outside, either. Montreal has also been linked to Larkin, but none of the teams on his list are Canadian. Earlier this fall, we looked at what the Canadiens could offer the Red Wings, and that discussion still comes back to one thing: Larkin’s approval.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said any trade needs Larkin’s approval and “must also be in the best interests of the Detroit Red Wings,” according to NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika. Right now, those two requirements don’t line up very neatly.
Friedman also said the list could shift soon. “I think over the next 24 to 48 hours, it’s possible we see that trade list altered,” he said on Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, adding that “it’s possible that Larkin may take some teams off, or possibly even add some teams on.”
As of Nov. 3, no change had been reported. If the list does move, the direction matters.
Taking teams off would only narrow Detroit’s options further. Adding a team like Buffalo would instantly reopen a deal that already appears to have real substance behind it.
That’s why the Sabres’ offer shouldn’t be treated like a dead end. Johnston’s report says Buffalo was turned away because of the list, not because the package wasn’t good enough. If that changes, Horcoff already knows there may be a strong deal waiting.
Detroit suspended Larkin without pay on Oct. 29 after he told the club he would no longer play for the Red Wings. Both sides want a trade, but the process is stuck until the market widens.
For now, the Red Wings can afford to wait. But patience only helps if the best offers are still alive when the door finally opens. Buffalo’s bid suggests one may already be there.
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