Dylan Larkin's name is circulating again, and this time it's the Carolina Hurricanes drawing the speculation.
Elliotte Friedman raised the connection Monday in his 32 Thoughts column, noting Larkin would need to adjust his no-trade list to accommodate a move there.
Friedman's exact framing matters here. He wondered if Carolina is "in on" Larkin "at all," and added the fit in their system would be strong.
That's speculation from one of the most connected reporters in hockey, not a report of talks underway. Still, it's the kind of line that moves a market.
Larkin is having a strong season by the numbers. He's put up 67 points in 74 games, including 34 goals, and he's riding a hot stretch with 11 points over his last 10 outings.
His five-game split is even louder: nine points, four goals, five helpers. Whatever happens with his list, this isn't a player fading down the stretch.
Detroit sits at 41-31-10, good for 16th overall, and dropped their finale 1-8 to the Panthers on a three-game losing skid.
Why Carolina makes sense on paper
Carolina finished 53-22-7, second overall in the league, with Rod Brind'Amour still running the bench and Eric Tulsky in the GM's chair.
The Hurricanes scored 296 goals this season, tops in a conference that prizes speed down the middle. Larkin's game built on pace would fit.
Detroit actually beat Carolina in overtime this season, 4-3, but dropped the other two meetings by 5-2 scores each. The gap between these two clubs was real.
Moving your captain is never simple. Larkin has been the face of the Red Wings rebuild for years, and trading him would be an admission that the current core hasn't been enough.
Would Steve Yzerman actually pull that trigger on his own captain? That's the real question hanging over Friedman's report, and nobody's answering it yet.
For now, this sits at the wondering stage. But list adjustments don't get floated in a hockey column for no reason.
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Should the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin to the Hurricanes if the deal materializes?
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