Dylan Larkin to the Panthers: Reasons It Would & Wouldn’t Work

Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, after his trade request, is one of the most intriguing names possibly on the market. He has a full no-trade clause and is able to completely control where he ends up in a potential trade, and by all reports, one of his preferred destinations is the Florida Panthers per Helen St James of the Detroit Free Press. His contract has four years remaining with an average annual value of $8.7 million.

Within the Panthers organization, Larkin has some familiarity with players and management. While he hasn’t been NHL teammates with any of the current Panthers. He did play on Team USA with both Brady and Matthew Tkachuk at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Olympics. Whereas Bill Zito was a part of the management team at the Olympics, which is another connection for him in possibly acquiring Larkin. This creates a core of people in the organization already familiar with Larkin, a veteran NHL player who they have faced countless times.

As a full-time NHLer, Larkin has done nothing but produce at a remarkably high level on the offensive end. Last season in 74 games, he had 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points. Over his NHL career, he has had three seasons with 70 or more points and four with 60 or more. He also recorded six seasons with 30 or more goals. While he’s been in the NHL he has been a force offensively and has provided value on the defensive end with a top 20 finish in Selke Trophy voting during the 2018-19 season and has taken on the number one Center matchups and responsibilities for the majority of his career in Detroit.

He also appeared as an All-Star three times and finished inside the top 25 in Selke Trophy voting twice. While with Detroit, he’s been the No. 1 center and has been heavily relied upon to produce. With all the talent in South Florida, he would become another piece and wouldn’t have the burden that he had during his time in Detroit.

Within Florida Panthers Context

The Panthers have injuries to two key forwards in Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, so it could present a world where a need for another forward makes sense. However, given the reported severity of these injuries coming from the Panthers organization is expected to keep them out for weeks rather than months, it may not provide the long-term cap flexibility the club needs to make a deal like this. Still, these injuries haven’t helped free up the cap space needed to go acquire Larkin without moving a substantial piece of the roster.

That being said, he would still be a strong fit on the team and within the lineup, especially once everyone is back, further strengthening an already highly impressive top six.

The potential cap ramifications of acquiring a player like Dylan Larkin would mean moving a player off the active roster that from a salary cap perspective can help offset the acquisition. If the Panthers were to move a forward the outcomes that could be most likely would be Carter Verhaeghe. Another potential player that could make sense and would be a desirable target for the Red Wings is Anton Lundell.

On the back end, a potential option from the core roster includes a player such as Niko Mikkola. These players would free up somewhere between $5 million and $7 million, which helps subsidize Larkin’s $8.7 million cap hit, and the Panthers could then add players in a deal to even out the financials.

Another route from a trade value perspective is including young players, both prospects and roster players, to help fortify the long-term outlook of the Red Wings. Players like Sandis Vilmanis, Cooper Black, and Jack Devine, to name a few, could all be options depending on the direction the Red Wings want to go in a potential deal. Other options include draft picks, which the Panthers are lacking somewhat still, with second-round picks to offer and first-round picks in the distant future.

Why a Trade Makes Sense

It makes sense from an on-ice perspective for the Panthers to acquire Larkin to reinforce their roster and forward group, adding another top-tier center. It is also logical for the Panthers as a team in a competitive window, doing everything in their power to bolster the roster as best as possible to succeed with the aging veteran core.

From the Red Wings’ perspective, it makes sense to move Larkin, who requested a trade, to just rip the metaphorical band-aid off and begin with the next era of Red Wings hockey. It also makes sense to pivot in a younger direction to add more players around the young core in place. It would especially make sense for the Red Wings if they got a young high-end player like Lundell.

Why a Trade Doesn’t Make Sense

It doesn’t make sense for the Panthers due to their salary cap situation and the way their core is currently built, with a plethora of prolific forwards who’ve all been a part of winning. They should feel comfortable with the roster they have in terms of the forwards, defensemen, and goalies.

The Red Wings who are in a state of transition after moving on from their long term General Manager Steve Yzerman. With this new reality and the trade request by Larkin it seems like it could make sense to move on to the next era of Red Wings hockey with a core of younger players. In a potential deal with the Panthers it seems unlikely that the Red Wings could acquire the type of young premium player they are looking for to move Larkin with the indications the Panthers aren’t so keen to move Lundell which is the closest to the young premium piece Detroit would be looking for.

Where Would Larkin Fit on the Panthers?

The Panthers could have Larkin slot in as their second-line center, or they could even experiment with him playing on the left wing, but most likely would appear in the center role behind Barkov. This would add another scoring jolt to the Panthers’ lineup and could create an all-Team USA Olympic line with Larkin and the Tkachuk brothers. He could also appear on the Panthers’ top power-play unit and bring another offensive punch to boost the Panthers’ scoring attack.

What a Trade Could Look Like

The trade could look something like a veteran roster player from the Panthers, like Verhaeghe or Mikkola, with another piece making up some of the difference on the salary cap, like perhaps Akira Schmid, which adds another $2 million. Then the Panthers could also include a player such as Vilmanis or Devine as a young roster player to move the Red Wings into their next era.

It’s tough to envision this deal making sense without a roster player from the Panthers moving off of a player with a sizeable cap hit. Not mention the young future roster players and additional draft pick compensation. Ultimately, it might not make sense for the Panthers to make a deal like this to shake up their core so seismically in moving a critical roster player, but getting a player of Larkin’s caliber could make them reconsider that decision-making process.