Should The Red Wings Trade Dylan Larkin?
Dylan Larkin might want to stay with the Red Wings, but is that actually the right move for the franchise? Are we sure Detroit shouldn’t just rip the bandaid off and trade Larkin? Steve Yzerman has a decision to make and some of this is his fault.
The bottom line is Yzerman screwed this retool up. Yzerman filled up Detroit’s cap sheet with bums. The most notable being Ben Chiarot. David Perron, Andrew Copp, Ville Husso, Dominik Kubalik, and Olli Maatta can also be added to that list. The Red Wings are 6th in the Atlantic with 54 points in 51 games. It’s the same exact spot they were in a year ago. 6th in the Atlantic and fished the year with 74 points. Spending all that money on middle tier free agents got the Wings nowhere.
Yzerman botched this and everyone with a brain knows it. The Wings have now failed to build a winner around Larkin and by the time they could potentially get it right, it’s far too late now. Larkin, 26, is in the prime of his career and would be a real game changer to any contender. Especially if Larkin is the second line center for a real Cup caliber team.
Again, Larkin may want to stay, but does it really make sense to stay? The former Michigan product is in the final year of his contract and will be an impending free agent after the conclusion of this year. Lou Lamiorello got a contract extension done with Bo Horvat in 12 minutes. If Yzerman can’t top the number Horvat just got, someone else will. Wouldn’t it be better to cut the cord now rather than wait to find out and risk losing Larkin for nothing? Better yet, couldn’t you sell Larkin and become the winning bid in free agency?
Larkin is having another great season with the Wings. On a bad Wings team, Larkin has 48 points in 50 games. That’s while carrying a 54% win rate in the faceoff circle. His linemates right now are Tyler Bertuzzi (who’s never in the lineup) and Dominik Kubalik (who was a bust in Chicago). Larkin still holds the record for the fastest skater at the All-Star skills event too. Point being, this is the type of player that could actually demand a monster return. A return that might change the trajectory of the franchise unlike their idiotic approach in free agency last Summer.
Should the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin? If the team fails to get a contract extension done, then what exactly are we talking about? It’s going to be a fun deadline and for a team like the Wings, everything should be on the table.
