The Detroit Red Wings are one of the teams the entire league is watching intently this offseason with the future prospect of a blockbuster Dylan Larkin trade on the horizon. The hockey world has been waiting to see where the Red Wings captain lands after he requested a trade from his long time team.
Larkin originally submitted a three team trade list of preferred destinations for general manager Steve Yzerman to work with. That list has since been expanded to make pulling off a trade more feasible for Yzerman. As for the timeline of this deal, this could be a process that takes up a good chunk of the summer.
Yzerman Taking his Time with Larkin Trade
In no surprise, Yzerman is doing his due diligence to make sure he can get the best possible return in exchange for his star player. Via insider Frank Seravalli on Oilers Now: “From what I’ve heard in general managers who have spoken to Steve Yzerman is that he appears to be in no rush.”
Yzerman is taking his time with fulfilling Larkin’s trade request. He has no reason to get a deal done quickly, he has an entire offseason ahead of puck drop for next season. The best course of action would appear to be creating a bidding war for Larkin’s services. The more offers Yzerman receives, the better chance he can engineer a quality hockey trade that would make losing Larkin bearable.
The Detroit GM knows his job is on the line with this impending decision. If he can pull off a trade that benefits the Red Wings, it could be his opportunity to save face in what has not been an ideal situation for him to deal with.
Yzerman Seeking a Worthwhile Package for Larkin
The priority for Yzerman is receiving a top package of assets in exchange for Larkin. There is not a sense of urgency in removing this distraction off of the team’s plates imminently now, compared to if this trade request had taken place during the season.
Yzerman will likely not make a Larkin deal just to end this dilemma; it’ll require a worthwhile return for him to pull the trigger on a trade. Via insider Chris Johnston: “I don’t see Steve Yzerman making a bad deal just for the sake of having the problem disappear, I think he’s willing to dig in.”
The task at hand has been made easier for Yzerman with Larkin giving him a larger list of teams to negotiate with. The larger the trade list, the more leverage Yzerman has to utilize at his disposal.
The question everyone is waiting for is what type of return Detroit receives in this future trade. That will dictate what kind of direction this team goes in from here. It would probably be in Yzerman’s best interest to seek a star player that could fill the void that will be lost with Larkin. If not, another rebuild could be in order for the Red Wings. That would not be a good development for Yzerman’s security with the organization.
Red Wings in No Rush to Move Dylan Larkin