Dylan Larkin's trade request is still very much alive, and the Detroit Red Wings captain hasn't budged on where he wants to go.
Bob Duff reported this week that Larkin remains committed to the same three destinations he named when the request first surfaced.
"Every indication we're getting is that he still wants a trade and he still is sticking with his three original teams: Florida, Minnesota and Vegas," Duff said on NHL Tonight.
That list hasn't changed, and neither has the situation in Detroit. Larkin posted 67 points in 74 games this past season, with 34 goals and a plus-3 rating.
Florida finished last season 40-38-4, a rough 84-point year under Paul Maurice that still ended on a three-game winning streak.
Minnesota closed out at 106 points, one of the league's stronger regular seasons, with Bill Guerin already juggling a crowded blue line and Quinn Hughes' own contract situation.
" Bob Duff: Re Dylan Larkin trade request/Red Wings: Every indication we're getting is that he still wants a trade and he still is sticking with his three original teams: Florida, Minnesota and Vegas - NHL Tonight (8/19)
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NHLRR: There had been some thought that Dallas might be in that group of teams as well; reports suggest the Wild might be his preference; the Wild may also be the team most eager to make a trade right now "
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Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit, and he has already picked three teams
Vegas might be the cleanest fit of the group. The Golden Knights finished 39-26-17 for 95 points, and Kelly McCrimmon has shown he'll move pieces to chase a center upgrade.
Larkin's game, size, speed and a two-way habit, translates well into a contender's middle six. That's not nothing for a front office thinking about a deep playoff run.
Detroit, meanwhile, is stuck holding a captain who wants out and three suitors who all have their own roster complications.
None of Florida, Minnesota or Vegas has an obvious extra piece sitting around waiting to headline a Larkin deal. That's exactly why this has dragged for months already.
Steve Yzerman doesn't have to move Larkin on a short clock, and he's shown before he won't rush a return just to get a deal done.
Waiting out a stalemate is a strategy, but it's also a bet that the market gets better with patience. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it just gets awkward.
For now, three teams, one captain, and a Detroit front office that controls the pace whether Larkin likes it or not.
Which team should land Dylan Larkin: Florida, Minnesota, or Vegas?
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