Elliotte Friedman’s latest “32 Thoughts” podcast put the New Jersey Devils right in the middle of the Dylan Larkin conversation, and the link feels a little more real after Tuesday night’s report that the Red Wings center has the Devils on his limited list of ten teams he would accept a trade to.
Friedman called the situation “an interesting situation” and relayed a text from a Devils fan who wondered, “Do you think Larkin is playing 3D chess?” Friedman continued: “Instead of going to Minnesota, where (Quinn) Hughes is, could he be choosing New Jersey, where Hughes is likely to be as well?”
The bigger question for New Jersey is not whether Larkin would fit, but what it would take to pry him loose. A trade framework would start with Dawson Mercer, since it has been reported that Detroit wants a young center back in any Larkin deal.
Mercer has played center before, even if that is not his primary spot, and the Red Wings could look at him as a long-term center option. He has also lived in trade chatter for nearly two years, so this could finally be the spot where he moves.
From there, the package would likely include Seamus Casey, Brenden Dillon, and a 2027 first-round pick from Vegas. Casey, taken 46th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, is a skilled defenseman out of the University of Michigan whose offensive game stands out.
Injuries have slowed his rise, though. He has appeared in only 14 NHL games, posted 4 goals and 4 assists in the 2024-25 season during that short stretch, and had knee surgery in early October.
His return is not expected until early December, depending on how his rehab goes.
Dillon would be in the deal mostly to make the money work. He reportedly turned down a possible trade last season, though the destination in that situation was never made clear. New Jersey also tried to move him to another team, and Sheldon Keefe has benched him in the Devils’ lineup.
The first-round pick fits the logic of a team built to contend. New Jersey has two first-rounders in the 2027 draft, and with the roster already positioned as a playoff-caliber group, moving one of those selections for a meaningful upgrade would make sense.
As for what Larkin would add, the appeal is obvious even if the fit raises a few eyebrows. The Devils already roll out Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier at center, but Larkin would give them a 1-2-3 punch down the middle that would be hard to match.
He is a strong two-way center who can score 30 goals in a season, and he has not finished below that mark since 2020-21, when a season-ending neck injury cut things short. New Jersey has had issues with finishing, and Larkin would give that offense a much-needed boost.
He is 30 years old and under contract through age 35 at $8.7 million per year, a number that becomes easier to live with as the salary cap continues to rise.
So if the Devils did make this swing, the next part of the story would be how the lines shake out after the deal.
In Other News...
Dawson Mercer Is Becoming A Real Devils Lineup Concern
The Devils have enough positive momentum to feel good about a win over the Avalanche, but Dawson Mercers season remains one of the quieter concerns tucked beneath the results. He has not scored a goal yet this year, and his offensive production has slipped from where it was in previous seasons, which is starting to stand out on a team that needs its depth pieces to pull their weight.
Mercers situation has also become more complicated because the questions around his place in the lineup are no longer just about a cold stretch. Trade rumors continue to follow him, and as he tries to find some consistency, his role looks less settled than it once did. For a Devils team trying to build on its strong start, that makes his next stretch worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]