The NHL trade landscape was turned upside down on Thursday night when reports surfaced that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade.
For the New York Rangers, the news presents both an opportunity and a challenge. According to Rangers insider Vincent Mercogliano, Larkin is exactly the type of impact player the organization could target as it looks to accelerate its retool.
Insider Drops Rangers-Larkin Update
Mercogliano believes the Rangers will almost certainly explore the possibility of acquiring Larkin, should Detroit play ball in negotiations.
The Rangers have been searching for a major top-six addition, and a proven two-way center like Larkin would fit that description perfectly.
“I’d be stunned if the Rangers don’t make the call (if they haven’t already),” Mercogliano wrote. “I believe he’s a name they’ve inquired about in the past and would love to get their hands on to fuel the retool. I’ve been saying for weeks my sense is they want to take a big swing and this certainly falls into that category.”
The Rangers may also have an important relationship working in their favor. Larkin recently won Olympic gold with Team USA under head coach Mike Sullivan, giving New York a connection that could help make the franchise more appealing if trade discussions progress.
Of course, identifying a target is easier than finding a package Detroit would actually accept.
Mercogliano floated several possibilities. “Would Trocheck + No. 26 get their attention? How about Lafrenière? Would Drury go so far as to offer the fifth pick? That feels like a bridge too far, but he’s short on prime assets to dangle. That adds to the difficulty of the task.”
There’s another complication for New York.
Before the Larkin news broke, Vincent Trocheck was viewed as one of the most attractive centers potentially available this summer. Now, Larkin instantly becomes the premier center on the market, likely drawing attention away from Trocheck and reducing some of the Rangers’ leverage if they decide to explore moving him.
Ultimately, though, any potential deal comes down to one person: Dylan Larkin.
The 29-year-old is signed through the 2030-31 season with an $8.7 million cap hit and holds a full no-movement clause for the next two years. That means he controls where he goes, and reports suggest his desire to leave Detroit is driven largely by a frustration with the club’s lengthy playoff drought.
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That raises an important question for the Rangers. After finishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and openly entering a retooling phase, can New York convince Larkin that it offers a clearer path to contention than Detroit?
The Rangers may be interested, and insiders expect them to make the call. Whether Larkin would be interested in picking up the phone is a very different question.
