Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic believes the Panthers were never really in the Dylan Larkin chase, according to a post from NHL Rumour Report this morning.
LeBrun wrote on 10/29 that, as far as he can tell, Florida is "loaded at center and haven't ever really been in this." That lands a day after the Red Wings beat the Panthers 5-3 in Sunrise, with Larkin on the other bench.
The Panthers have been tied to Larkin ever since he put Florida on his list. Bill Zito staying out of Larkin talks was our report on Thursday, and LeBrun's read fits that picture.
NHL Rumour Report added a detail of its own on LeBrun's note: Florida was one of the three teams Larkin initially gave the Red Wings in June.
That is all the post says. There is no offer, no call and no framework attached, and nothing here suggests otherwise.
The center depth backs LeBrun's point, at least on paper. Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe both have 13 points through 15 games, and Reinhart has 6 power-play goals among his 8.
Can the Panthers' centers really cover without Barkov?
Aleksander Barkov is on IR with a knee injury, expected out until at least Nov 27 according to the latest injury report. He has played just 2 games this season and has no points.
Below him, the group is solid without being flashy. Lars Eller has 8 points and a +7 rating, Sam Bennett has 7, Anton Lundell has 6 and Eetu Luostarinen has 4.
Bennett scored against Detroit on Monday, and Eller picked up an assist. Lundell and Luostarinen were held off the scoresheet, and Lundell went minus-1 in nearly 19:28 of ice time.
Is "loaded" the right word? Depth, yes. A first-line center who changes the ceiling, not so much, and Larkin would be exactly that while Barkov works back. Florida's record is 8-5-2, which puts the Panthers 5th in the Atlantic, and a team in that spot does not have unlimited patience.
Still, none of that makes Florida a participant. Nothing in the post or in LeBrun's note says Zito has engaged with Detroit. The Panthers host the Blackhawks on Wednesday, while Larkin's Red Wings are in Tampa tonight.
Should the Panthers make a push for Dylan Larkin while Aleksander Barkov is out?
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