In today’s NHL rumors rundown, what happens with Dylan Larkin in Detroit? Do the Red Wings give him a big new deal or will there be trade talk surrounding the forward and pending UFA? Meanwhile, should there be any concern in Dallas that neither Jason Robertson nor Jake Oettinger has deals signed yet?
Finally, the Vancouver Canucks want to retain J.T. Miller, but will they have to figure something out before the start of the 2022-23 season?
Will Larkin Be a $9 Million Player?
Ansar Khan of MLIVE.COM started looking at Dylan Larkin’s next contract with the Detroit Red Wings and is wondering where the player will wind up. Khan believes the pending UFA either signs for between $8 and $9 million per season or there is talk of a trade before this season’s deadline.
Khan reports the two sides have been working on a deal since July but it doesn’t sound like anything is close. Should negotiations drag into the season, how Larkin plays could factor in heavily to the deal that is ultimately signed. Khan is reporting that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Larkin and his camp seeking a deal that is for eight seasons. He’s 26 years old now, and that deal will take him to the age of 34.
What is Larkin worth and how badly to the Red Wings want to keep a few members of their core around?
Why the Delay in Dallas?
The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf acknowledged during his latest mailbag article that the Stars are working at what appears to be a snail’s pace when it comes to new deals for Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger but also doesn’t see that as a reason to be concerned that things might have gone south. At least not yet.
Related: Projecting Auston Matthews’ Career If He Is a Lifetime Maple Leaf
Yousef writes:
These negotiations have been akin to a staring contest. Each side is waiting for the other to blink and, so far, neither side has done so. The main issue is that there has been no reason for urgency. There was no arbitration hearing to contend with, there’s no imminent threat of an offer sheet and there has been no requirement for players to report anywhere.
source – ‘Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger contract talks, Jamie Benn’s captaincy: Stars mailbag’ – Saad Yousef – The Athletic – 08/26/2022
He adds that no one is bitter or resentful yet, but if this drags into camp and a holdout is required, things could change as both players are seen as team-first guys and don’t like the idea of missing time.
Canucks Internal Deadline for Miller Extension
According to Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, there may be an internal deadline when it comes to finding common ground on an extension for forward J.T. Miller. They write that the team’s preference is to keep Miller and they feel for the tight spot their salary cap situation has put the player in. Under easier circumstances, they’d have gotten this deal done a while back.
They explain:
“We’ve also been told that the notion of a start-of-the-regular-season deadline to get a deal done with Miller or have contract talks cease for the duration of the campaign doesn’t really change the dynamic of talks from Vancouver’s perspective.”
source – ‘What we’re hearing about the J.T. Miller dynamic, Canucks’ plan for training camp’ – Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal – The Athletic – 08/26/2022
The latter does make things a lot more challenging. If there won’t be negotiations during the season, what happens when the trade deadline approaches and the team is forced to make a decision with the pending UFA? They can’t afford to let him simply walk away next summer.