Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said Saturday night that Dylan Larkin’s trade list may not stay the same for long.
On Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, Friedman said there’s a real chance the list changes in the next couple of days.
"I think over the next 24-48 hours it's possible we see that trade list altered."
He expanded on that point by naming a few teams that seem especially unlikely to be involved.
"I think over the next 24-48 hours, it’s possible we see [Larkin’s] trade list altered. I think some teams like Florida and Vegas, even Colorado, it’s very hard to see anything like that happening, if not impossible, so I do think it’s possible that Larkin may take some teams off or possibly even add some teams on,” Friedman reported on Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines.
That language matters. Friedman kept circling back to “possible,” which leaves plenty of room for the situation to shift without locking anything in.
The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay earlier this week after he told the team he would not play for them again. Interim GM Shawn Horcoff eventually made it official that Larkin is done in Detroit. Since the suspension began, Larkin has already lost more than $141K, with the reported cost sitting at about $41K per day.
The timing also lines up with a small roster move in Detroit. The Red Wings announced Sunday morning that John Leonard has been recalled from Grand Rapids. Detroit is set to face the Panthers tomorrow night.
Larkin’s current list includes 10 teams, but the fit is complicated. Several of the clubs on it are either tight against the cap or short on the kind of assets Detroit would want back for a 2C on a very team-friendly contract. Minnesota is the name drawing the most attention, and the Wild reportedly want him badly, but the offer on the table is said to fall short.
There have also been rumors about Montreal’s interest in Larkin, possibly even stronger interest than Minnesota’s, but the Canadiens are not on his list. A deal with Montreal would likely bring Detroit a “juicier” return.
For now, though, the key point is that the list may not be static. Friedman suggested Larkin could take teams off it, or even add more.
If he does expand it, that would speed things up. If he trims it, the market gets narrower.
Either way, the Red Wings do not appear to be in a rush. Horcoff has the leverage to wait, and Detroit has no obligation to move Larkin until the return makes sense.
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