Dylan Larkin to the Panthers is suddenly the hottest idea in hockey, and it took one bad knee in San Jose to get there.
Aleksander Barkov is awaiting an MRI after a knee scare. One take making the rounds didn't hold back.
"If Barkov is actually hurt again it feels safe to assume Larkin is going to be a Panther by the end of the weekend."
On paper, it fits. Larkin scored 34 goals and 67 points last season, his fifth straight 30-goal year.
If Barkov misses real time, Florida needs a forward who can carry heavy minutes. Few players on the market fit that description better.
The price has already been floated. David Pagnotta said the primary piece would be "a proven young current top 6 caliber forward, controllable."
Shawn Horcoff and Bill Zito would need a lot to line up by Sunday
Here's the problem with the weekend timeline. The MRI hasn't even happened, and Dr. Harjas Grewal's most likely read, a torn MCL, often means four to six weeks.
Teams don't usually move future pieces to fill a four-week hole. An ACL would be a different story entirely.
Larkin has his own question mark. He was day-to-day heading into Detroit's opener tonight against the Rangers, with his status still undecided.
By the end of the weekend is fantasy. Shawn Horcoff, running the Red Wings as interim GM, has no reason to sell his best forward in a panic window that only helps Florida.
It's like buying a new couch before you've measured the living room. Wait for the numbers first.
Bill Zito has shown he's aggressive, putting an offer on the table for Connor Hellebuyck this fall. If the MRI comes back bad, the phone in Detroit will ring.
The Panthers visit Anaheim on Sunday. Larkin's name will hang over that game either way.
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Monday is the earliest anything realistic happens. Whether Larkin is a Panther by then depends on one scan and one very patient interim GM in Detroit.
Should the Panthers trade for Dylan Larkin if Aleksander Barkov is out long term?
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