Dylan Larkin has said publicly that he wants out of Detroit, and the Panthers are still on his list as the Red Wings visit Sunrise tonight.
Detroit comes in at 6-5-3 after a 5-4 loss to St. Louis on Saturday. Florida is 8-4-2 and riding a three-game winning streak, the latest a 5-2 win over Winnipeg on Friday.
The situation around the Red Wings captain has turned ugly. Unlike players who settled their exit behind closed doors, Larkin made his wish public, the organization officially suspended him, and a website called Larkin's Losses now tracks the money he loses every day.
On paper, the fit looks great. He is a top center and a respected leader who gave everything to a rebuilding club, and plenty of people think he deserves a shot on a winner. Larkin has 6 points in 10 games this season and 649 points over 818 career games.
Last week, Bill Zito staying out of Dylan Larkin trade talks was the story. The general manager had not engaged with Detroit at that point.
The money is where the dream gets cold. Larkin carries a cap hit of $8,700,000, and a deal in November is always harder to build than one in the summer. Florida is also already on long-term injured reserve, according to the editor's reporting.
On the Locked On Panthers podcast, host Armando Velez shared a package pitched by a guest: Anton Lundell, Garnet Hathaway, Santos, Sandis Vilmanis and two second-round picks, the one acquired from Columbus and another in 2028.
Even with all of that going out, Florida would add payroll. And when Aleksander Barkov returns, listed as out until at least Nov 27, the Panthers might have to carry only 21 players to fit Larkin in.
Why Lundell for Larkin misses what Florida needs
Center is not the problem. Barkov, Sam Bennett and Lundell give Florida a deep group down the middle, and Lundell is 25 years old with a $5,000,000 cap hit and 4 goals through 14 games.
Moving him to fill a spot that is already strong is the wrong priority. It is a bad idea for a team whose real issue sits elsewhere.
That issue is five-on-five offense. The power play is doing its job, but the third and fourth lines have to start producing, and Hathaway has no points through 14 games while Vilmanis has 2 in 13.
Brady Tkachuk's eight goals with Barkov sidelined have covered a lot of that gap, and the team is plus-5 in goal differential.
Long term, Larkin in Florida could absolutely work. This season, the obstacles stack up fast, and Zito has pulled off surprising moves before. Whether he tries this one may start to show once Detroit leaves town and Barkov's return date gets closer.
Would you trade Anton Lundell for Dylan Larkin?
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