The Maple Leafs’ pursuit of Dylan Larkin hit a wall on Tuesday night, and the latest update wasn’t the kind Toronto fans were hoping for.
Larkin still took the ice for the Red Wings and even scored a goal, a reminder that even with trade chatter swirling around him, he’s not backing away from the job in front of him. His name remains in the middle of a messy situation, but the expectation is still that he could be moved at some point. The source of that belief is the idea that interim GM Shawn Horcoff likely doesn’t want this situation dragging through the season, especially with Simon Edvinsson’s future also up in the air.
What Toronto and the rest of Canada now know, though, is that Larkin’s trade preference appears to shut out every Canadian club. He has reportedly expanded his list to as many as 10 teams he’d be willing to join, but none of Canada’s seven franchises are on it. That leaves clubs like Montreal and Toronto out of the mix despite their interest.
For the Maple Leafs, that’s a particularly tough miss. Larkin is the kind of player who would fit what they need almost perfectly: a two-way center who can score, defend, and change the shape of the lineup.
The fit is obvious on paper. He’d give Toronto another 30-plus goal threat with elite defensive numbers and could slide in as the ideal replacement for John Tavares at 2C.
That move would let Tavares shift to the wing while still handling important face-offs, while Larkin would bring speed and a stronger defensive game down the middle. It would also give Auston Matthews another center he trusts, one who has already shown he can win alongside him. In a win-now stretch, that kind of addition would be hard to overstate.
Instead, Larkin seems set on staying within the U.S., and that’s the path he believes gives him the best chance to thrive. For Toronto, it’s a frustrating turn. For Larkin, it’s his call.
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