Bill Zito keeps Panthers out of Dylan Larkin trade talks

Dylan Larkin has the Panthers on his list, but Bill Zito has not engaged with Detroit, and Florida is staying out of the conversation for now.

The word comes from Pierre LeBrun's OverDrive segment, relayed by R i N K Y. According to that report, Florida has not engaged on the Red Wings center.

Colorado hasn't either. LeBrun was told it's just not a fit for some of the teams on that list.

Others are in the mix. Carolina, New Jersey and Washington were all named as intriguing possibilities from the actual list.

Larkin has 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points through 10 games this season, with a +3 rating. He's listed as day-to-day, not injury related, and is expected to be out until at least Oct. 31.

Detroit is playing as we speak, with Chicago visiting and the first period winding down tonight. The Red Wings sit 21st in the NHL at 5-4-3 and eighth in the Atlantic.

Here's the most telling line in the report, as R i N K Y passes along LeBrun's information: the Panthers haven't engaged.

Florida isn't a team in a hurry. The Panthers won 5-1 in Winnipeg on Tuesday night, they're 7-4-2 with 16 points, and they hold third place in the Atlantic.

Larkin's list and the Atlantic race

Detroit is the team that has to move him, and it sits below Florida in the same division. That makes any deal with the Panthers more awkward than a trade with a Western club.

Larkin is 30 and has 649 points in 818 NHL games. His contract runs through 2030-31 at a cap hit of $8,700,000, and he's a UFA at expiry.

That's a long commitment for any GM. Zito can say no to it, and he's entitled to.

But the Panthers have scored 39 goals and carry a +2 goal differential. That's a good record, not a dominant one, and a top-line center is the kind of piece contenders chase.

Paul Maurice's group faces Winnipeg again Friday, and Larkin is still on the market. If other teams on his list push harder, will Florida stay on the sideline?