Chris Johnston thinks Dylan Larkin ultimately gets traded by the Detroit Red Wings, just not to any team currently on that 10-team list.
Johnston floated it Thursday on the Hockey PDOcast: “My hunch is that he ultimately is traded to a team that isn't currently on that list of 10 teams.”
Read that again. The hunch skips right past whether a trade happens and goes straight to the destination.
And the timing is ugly. Larkin has 5 points in 9 games, with just one goal to show for it.
Nobody on the roster carries a bigger cap hit than his $8,700,000. That's a lot of money for a mystery team to squeeze in during October.
He put 6 shots on net Saturday night in Calgary, more than any other Red Wing. Detroit still went home with a 4-1 loss.
The recent stretch has been more setup than finish. All 3 of his points over the last 5 games are assists.
Chris Johnston: Re Dylan Larkin: My hunch is that he ultimately is traded to a team that isn't currently on that list of 10 teams - Hockey PDOcast (10/22)
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Dylan Larkin's 10-team trade list may be missing the team that matters most
Horcoff has only been the GM since September 15. Few calls on his desk will carry more weight than this one.
Todd McLellan's group sits at 4-4-3, tied with Buffalo for the fewest points in the Atlantic. The Bruins are already at 19.
So what does a team in that spot do with its highest-paid player?
Trading Larkin right now would be a bad move. Shipping him out off a cold start is like listing your house the week the basement floods.
You take whatever offer comes through the door, and you're grateful for it.
The production is coming from elsewhere. Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with 12 points, and Lucas Raymond sits second with 9.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard owns a team-best +10 rating at 21. Emmitt Finnie has chipped in 4 goals of his own.
A Larkin trade would push kids like those two into heavier minutes, ready or not.
John Gibson stopped 21 of 25 shots Saturday. His .867 save percentage leaves the skaters almost no margin.
The Red Wings visit Edmonton Monday for their first meeting with the Oilers this season.
How Larkin plays there won't settle anything. It won't quiet the noise, either.
Should Shawn Horcoff trade Dylan Larkin this season?
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