Dylan Larkin’s Trade List Is Blocking a Big Red Wings Offer

The Detroit Red Wings may have already seen one of the strongest offers for Dylan Larkin, and they couldn’t do anything with it. NHL insider Chris Johnston said on his podcast on Monday that “I think the Buffalo Sabres made a pretty big offer at one point here in the last few weeks.”

The problem wasn’t the price. According to Johnston, the Sabres “were told basically it’s just not something they can do because Larkin isn’t waiving to go there.” That single detail says more about where this trade stands than any rumored package.

Buffalo’s Offer Shows the Cost of Larkin’s No-Trade Clause

Dylan Larkin holds a no-trade clause and an $8.7 million contract that runs through 2030-31. That protection lets him decide where he goes, and Buffalo isn’t one of the 10 teams he has approved: Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington.

The Sabres’ interest isn’t new. After the list expanded, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had checked in on the former captain’s status. What Johnston added is that Buffalo moved from asking questions to making a serious bid.

That changes how the Red Wings should read the market. For months, the debate has focused on which teams on the list can afford the center. Johnston’s report shows that at least one team willing to pay is sitting outside it.

It isn’t hard to see why a club would make a big push. Larkin has scored 30 goals six times and ranks 10th in franchise history with 649 points in 818 games. He also had two goals and four assists in 10 games this season before leaving the team. Detroit, meanwhile, has made its own priorities clear. Friedman said on Oct. 22 that the Red Wings had started to ask about young centres in trade talks, and the best return will come from the team most willing to meet that ask.

Larkin’s List Is Smaller Than It Looks

The 10-team list already has limits. On Oct. 31, Friedman said “some teams like Florida and Vegas, even Colorado, it’s very hard to see (a trade) happening, if not impossible,” as MLive’s Ansar Khan reported.

Others come with their own complications. Washington had little projected space earlier this season, a challenge we covered when we argued the Capitals could have what Detroit wants in young center Ilya Protas. Minnesota has made multiple offers, but The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote that “the issue for Detroit seems to be the lack of immediate NHL talent in those offers, which are more futures-based” (from ‘NHL rumblings: Breaking down Larkin’s 10-team list, plus latest on Robertson and Edvinsson,’ The Athletic, Oct. 29, 2026).

That leaves a list of 10 names with far fewer realistic partners, a point we made in our breakdown of Larkin’s 10-team list and its fits. Every team that drops out of the realistic group makes an outside offer like Buffalo’s more frustrating for Detroit.

Buffalo Isn’t the Only Team on the Outside

The Sabres aren’t alone. Montreal has also been linked to Larkin, but none of the teams on his list are Canadian. We looked at what the Canadiens could offer the Red Wings earlier this fall, and that conversation still depends entirely on the former captain’s approval.

That puts Detroit in an unusual spot. Two motivated clubs can’t get to the table, while several clubs that can are unlikely, limited by the cap, or offering mostly futures. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has said any trade needs Larkin’s approval and “must also be in the best interests of the Detroit Red Wings,” according to NHL.com’s Nicholas J. Cotsonika. Right now, those two conditions point in different directions.

Why a Change to Larkin’s List Matters Now

Friedman also said the list could change soon. “I think over the next 24 to 48 hours, it’s possible we see that trade list altered,” he said on Sportsnet’s Saturday Headlines, adding that “it’s possible that Larkin may take some teams off, or possibly even add some teams on.”

No change had been reported as of Nov. 3. If one comes, it matters which direction it goes. Removing teams that were never realistic would only confirm what Detroit already knows. Adding a club like Buffalo would immediately bring a known, serious offer back into play.

That is also why the Red Wings shouldn’t treat the Sabres’ bid as dead. According to Johnston, the reason Buffalo was turned away was Larkin’s list. If the list opens up, Horcoff already knows where at least one strong deal may be waiting.

Detroit Should Keep Buffalo’s Bid in Its Back Pocket

The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay on Oct. 29 after he told the club he would no longer play for Detroit. Both sides want a trade, and both sides are stuck until the market gets wider.

That gives Detroit one clear message to send. The club has said it will be patient, and it should be. But patience works best when the best available offers can actually be accepted. Buffalo’s bid shows that the right deal may already exist, and the only thing standing in the way is a list that Larkin controls.