The Colorado Avalanche don’t particularly need more firepower.
But the chance to trade for Detroit Red Wings star Dylan Larkin appears to be on the table — and you can never have too much offensive production.
The news emerged Tuesday that the Avs are officially in the mix — or at least permitted to be in the mix by Larkin.
Larkin has a no-trade clause, and so although he has requested a trade from the Red Wings, he’s in control of his destination. He can veto any deal, so if he doesn’t like a landing spot, he can say no.
That means Larkin has pretty much made it clear to the Red Wings which teams he’d actually take a trade to, because if he doesn’t want to go there, it doesn’t really matter if Detroit finds a deal or not.
It has to align both with what works for Detroit and for Larkin.
That’s where the Avalanche apparently come in.
Avalanche Dylan Larkin Trade Update
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported on Tuesday that Larkin’s list has added seven teams from the original three of the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild.
“As he awaits a trade, Larkin, 30, has told the Red Wings he’d be willing to move to at least seven additional teams, according to a source: the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Utah Mammoth and Washington Capitals,” Wyshynski writes. “The list was first reported by the Detroit Free Press. Despite Montreal Canadiens fans having recently chanted ‘We Want Larkin!’ when the Red Wings visited Bell Centre, a source told ESPN that Larkin is not looking for a trade to a Canadian team.”
The Avalanche fit the bill of that list, which is all teams in the United States and mostly contending teams, as well.
It’s not clear exactly what Detroit is seeking in return, and that could impact how many of the teams on Larkin’s list actually want to go after him.
Other Constraints
Larkin also has a cap hit of more than $8 million, which is something that would have to be considered by any acquiring team.
And because Larkin is a natural center, a team with multiple legitimate top-six centers already might wonder if they’re overdoing it by acquiring Larkin for a player who might help them in a different spot on the ice.
The Avalanche definitely have a lot of forward talent already, and that makes the desired return for the Red Wings the key part. If Larkin is cheap enough, he’s an obvious boost. But if he’s costly, it may not be worth it for the Avs.
Avalanche Get Major Update On Trading For Dylan Larkin