Dylan Larkin’s summer trade saga included a quick answer from the Flyers, and it was a hard pass on both sides.
Once Larkin’s trade request surfaced, teams across the NHL reached out, Philadelphia included. But Flyers insider Kevin Kurz reported in a September 4 piece in The Athletic that the response from Larkin’s camp shut that door immediately.
“The Flyers checked in on Larkin after his trade request became public, but were told they weren’t on his list of acceptable destinations, and he might end up staying in Detroit now Steve Yzerman is gone anyway.”
Larkin’s original list had only three teams on it: Minnesota, Florida, and Vegas. Even there, the market hasn’t exactly come roaring in. The chatter around the Wild suggests they may still be keeping the door cracked, but Minnesota GM Bill Guerin isn’t sitting around waiting on Larkin, especially with Quinn Hughes already on his radar.
For Philadelphia, though, the bigger point is simpler: this doesn’t look like a fit. Larkin didn’t want the Flyers then, and that alone makes it hard to see why they’d jump in now.
The Flyers would have to think twice before sending out premium prospects or useful roster players for someone who didn’t view Philly as one of his destinations in the first place. If Larkin had made it clear he wanted to land in Philadelphia, that would have changed the negotiation.
The Flyers could have pressed harder. As it stands, there’s no reason to force it.
At this point, the safer move is to let Larkin remain in Detroit and keep the Flyers focused on what comes next. The picture could change if there’s a new GM in place, but for now, the better use of Philly’s energy is building on last season’s success.
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Flyers Are Being Linked To Another Big Swing On Defense
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The bigger question is not whether the fit would intrigue them, but how far they would be willing to go to make it work. Any pursuit of a player at that level would come with familiar complications for a team trying to build smartly, and the contract side of the equation would have to line up before Philadelphia seriously commits to a move. [Read more 🡒]