The Red Wings may have just been handed leverage on a Dylan Larkin trade, and it came from a knee scare in San Jose.
Aleksander Barkov is awaiting an MRI, and Florida suddenly looks like a buyer with a hole to fill. Fans are already connecting the dots to Detroit.
One take making the rounds put it bluntly: "If Barkov is actually hurt again it feels safe to assume Larkin is going to be a Panther by the end of the weekend."
For Detroit, that's the best kind of buzz. A contender that needs a forward in a hurry is a contender willing to overpay.
The asking price is already out there. David Pagnotta said the primary piece would be "a proven young current top 6 caliber forward, controllable."
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And that's just the headliner. Pagnotta was clear it wasn't the overall package.
Shawn Horcoff can turn Florida's panic into Detroit's payday
Shawn Horcoff, running the Red Wings as interim GM, now holds a rare card. Larkin scored 34 goals and 67 points last season, and buyers know exactly what that looks like in April.
He's also coming off his fifth straight 30-goal year. That kind of consistency is what Florida would be paying for.
The timing still matters. Larkin was day-to-day heading into tonight's opener against the Rangers, and any deal hinges on both him and Barkov checking out medically.
Horcoff should make Florida pay the full price, plus extra for the rush. After the way the Simon Edvinsson situation has dragged, Detroit can't afford to sell another star for less than he's worth.
It's like owning the last umbrella shop on a rainy day. You don't run a clearance sale.
Patience in Detroit is already thin. Selling Larkin would hurt, but selling him cheap is the move fans would never forgive.
The Red Wings play four of their first five at home, starting tonight. Every Larkin shift in that stretch doubles as a showcase if Florida comes calling.
If the MRI is bad, Bill Zito picks up the phone. What Horcoff says back will tell Detroit fans whether this front office has learned anything.
Should the Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin to Florida if the Panthers meet the asking price?
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