Dylan Larkin has given Todd McLellan and the Red Wings three secondary trade destinations as his future in Detroit remains unsettled.
According to MLive's Ansar Khan, Larkin's secondary choices are the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars. That gives Detroit a defined group to work with if his preferred destination can't produce a deal.
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The catch is that none of those three paths looks clean. Khan reported that the clubs either have little interest, insufficient cap space or no desire to surrender what Detroit would require.
That detail matters for Steve Yzerman. Larkin can identify destinations, but Detroit still controls the return and has no reason to move its captain simply to satisfy a preferred landing spot.
Larkin carries an $8,700,000 cap hit through the 2030-31 season. Any contender pursuing him would need more than interest; it would need the financial room and trade assets to make Detroit listen.
His production gives the Red Wings every reason to hold their line. Larkin finished the 2025-26 season with 34 goals and 33 assists in 74 games.
Larkin's trade list creates a difficult market
Florida, Vegas and Dallas all fit the profile of destinations a top-six center would find attractive. They also create very different problems once the conversation moves from preference to an actual trade package.
The Panthers would give Larkin a chance to land with an established contender, but a complicated cap picture can stop talks before Detroit even gets to the return.
Vegas has repeatedly operated aggressively when star talent becomes available. Yet Larkin's contract size means another major piece of roster construction would be required to fit him into the lineup.
Dallas presents another high-end option, but Detroit isn't moving a player who scored 14 power-play goals last season without demanding meaningful value back.
That's where Larkin's choices become important. A trade request can apply pressure, but a narrow list also reduces the number of teams available to create bidding tension for Yzerman.
Detroit can afford to wait. Larkin remains under contract for multiple seasons, giving the Red Wings far more leverage than they would have with a player approaching unrestricted free agency.
The destination list is taking shape. The harder part for Larkin is finding one of those teams willing and able to meet Detroit's price.
Should the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin if one of his preferred teams meets Steve Yzerman's price?
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