By now, it’s well known that the Detroit Red Wings will likely move on from center Dylan Larkin.
Larkin continues to sit out without pay while the organization searches for a suitor.
Larkin has listed 10 teams he would like to be traded to, but other NHL teams are vying for his services as well, or at least trying to do so.
One of the teams that Larkin would welcome a trade to is the Carolina Hurricanes. While the Hurricanes don’t necessarily need the services of Dylan Larkin, Carolina stands out as an obvious trade destination for a player like Larkin who would like to win a Stanley Cup.
Amid the rumors and speculation, let’s take a look at what a potential trade between the Hurricanes and Red Wings could look like for Larkin.
Hurricanes Offload 4 Players in Potential Dylan Larkin Deal
Here is a quick outline of what it might take for the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire Dylan Larkin:
- Hurricanes receive: F Dylan Larkin
- Red Wings receive: Defenceman Alexander Nikishin, F Jesperi Kotkaniemi, prospects Joel Nystrom, Felix Unger-Sorum
BleacherReport.com’s Adam Gretz recently wrote about the idea of Larkin joining the Hurricanes via trade:
“It is easy to see why Larkin would want to play in Carolina. After spending a decade playing on losing hockey teams, he would be joining one of the league’s steadiest contenders and the defending Stanley Cup champions. Carolina also makes a lot of sense from a practical perspective because it is loaded with first-round draft capital, has a really good farm system, and has the salary cap flexibility to take on Larkin’s contract.”
The only ‘blocker’ in a potential Larkin-to-Carolina trade is the fact that the Hurricanes are already loaded at the center position, but speaking to the Red Wings trying to suck the most out of a Larkin trade, the Canes might actually have the most to offer.
This proposed package that involves 4 players moving to Detroit includes a top-six forward in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a high-upside D-man in Alexander Nikishin, and two of the Hurricanes’ top prospects. If that’s not enough, the Canes could even swap one of the prospects out for a pair of draft picks, which might also be welcomed by Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff.
Do the Carolina Hurricanes Need to Trade for Dylan Larkin?
Under no circumstances do the Carolina Hurricanes need to trade for Dylan Larkin.
In fact, there are several other NHL teams who could use his services way more than the Canes, who have tormented the rest of the league in their back-to-back Cup quest.
Also, among the teams that are rumored to trade for Larkin, Carolina might have the most center depth with Logan Stankoven, Sebastian Aho, and Jordan Staal.
There’s a world where Staal takes a step back in terms of his role with the Canes, but Aho is Carolina’s best player, and Logan Stankoven has been a man possessed since the NHL playoffs this past summer.
Either way, don’t expect the Larkin rumors to go away until he’s finally traded, which could be any day now… or months in the future.
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Prediction Nets Dylan Larkin for 4 Players