Active Larkin trade talks reported as Boston weighs a move that could shake the Atlantic

The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings are in active trade discussions about Dylan Larkin, according to reports out this morning.

The Larkin sweepstakes has been running for days, and this is the first time one team looks like it's pulling ahead. The two clubs have reportedly been scouting each other's NHL and AHL teams, which usually means a deal is being shaped and not just floated.

TSN's Darren Dreger said the Bruins "would like to get on to Larkin's list," and that for now the list "remains status quo." Larkin has recently expanded it, but it's unconfirmed whether Boston made the cut. You can read Darren Dreger's Larkin to Boston comments from earlier this week for the full back and forth.

The plan on Boston's side is simple. If the Bruins can work out the framework, Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff would then approach Larkin, get his approval and close it.

Money is the first hurdle. Boston has $7.9 million in cap space, and Larkin carries an $8.7 million hit through the 2031 season, so the numbers don't line up without something going the other way.

Then there's the price. Matthew Poitras would surely be part of it, but the Bruins won't move James Hagens or Fraser Minten. Dean Letourneau, the 6'7 former first-round pick, is a name Detroit would like to get its hands on.

Why Boston doesn't need to overpay for Larkin

The Bruins are 11-4-1 and sit first in the Atlantic with a +20 goal differential. Detroit is 7-6-3 and eighth in the same division.

That gap is the whole argument. A team this far ahead has no reason to hand over Poitras and Letourneau for a 30-year-old with six points in 10 games and a contract that runs deep into his 30s. If Boston pays that price, it's a bad trade for a team that isn't in need of rescue.

Pavel Zacha complicates the picture too. He's a pending unrestricted free agent with 10 points in 15 games, and the Bruins aren't ready to commit to him yet. Adding Larkin would change that decision one way or the other.

Kris Draper being in Boston is part of a pattern, too. He was part of Kris Draper's Canadiens visits and the Larkin talk a week ago, and Montreal hasn't fully left the conversation.

The Red Wings host the Golden Knights tonight while the Bruins are in Pittsburgh. Whether Larkin is in the Detroit lineup, and whether Boston's name gets added to his list, are the next two things to watch.

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Daniel Brière could cash in on a Dylan Larkin trade that sends Detroit's captain somewhere else