Dylan Larkin trade talk hit the Detroit Red Wings this morning, hours before tonight's puck drop in Seattle.
John Buccigross lit the fuse on Frankly Hockey last Friday. He said he'd received “a little bit of information” pointing to a trade in Detroit within 7 to 10 days.
Frank Seravalli asked if it had to be No. 71. Buccigross answered, “Yeah, Larkin.”
Notice who actually supplied the name. Seravalli led the witness and Buccigross agreed, which is a long way from a sourced report.
Still, the timeline is specific enough to sting. Seven to 10 days from Friday lands somewhere between this Friday and next Monday.
That window runs straight through a four-game western swing. Seattle tonight, Vancouver on Thursday, Calgary on Saturday, Edmonton on Monday.
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Red Wings' interim front office faces an $8,700,000 call
And the man holding the phone is Shawn Horcoff, who's running the front office on an interim basis.
That should make Red Wings fans nervous. An interim GM moving the face of the forward group eight games into the season is a bad idea, and it isn't close.
It's a substitute teacher rewriting the curriculum in October. Whoever gets the permanent job inherits the fallout.
His cap hit is $8,700,000, the biggest on Detroit's books. Moritz Seider is next in line at $8,550,000.
The early return hasn't matched the price tag. He has one goal and three points in six games, while the Red Wings have played eight.
The last five have been quieter still. One assist. An even rating.
Alex DeBrincat is the one driving the attack, with 9 points and a +8 rating. Viktor Arvidsson has scored all 3 of his goals on the power play.
The standings explain why the phone might be ringing. The Red Wings are 3-3-2 and sit eighth in the Atlantic with a -4 goal differential.
Two straight wins, both at home, bought a little breathing room. But this team still hasn't won away from home, going 0-0-1 on the road.
So who carries the top six if he's gone? J.T. Compher is on IR, expected out until at least October 22.
Mason Appleton is listed as day-to-day until at least October 26. Marco Kasper's upper-body timeline ends today, with no word yet on whether he dresses in Seattle.
The bigger fire is in the crease anyway. John Gibson owns a .873 save percentage through six appearances, while Daniil Tarasov sits at .965 with a shutout.
Todd McLellan has more pressing problems than a podcast rumor. Seattle beat his team 6-3 in Detroit back on October 9.
If Buccigross is right, Horcoff makes the biggest call of his tenure before the bus leaves Edmonton. If he's wrong, Larkin spends a long road trip answering questions he never asked for.
Should an interim GM like Shawn Horcoff be allowed to trade Dylan Larkin?
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