Red Wings Dylan Larkin finally open to a trade, says Elliotte Friedman, with one big condition

Dylan Larkin would accept a trade to the Florida Panthers, according to Elliotte Friedman on Monday. The obstacle sits in Detroit.

Friedman didn't hedge much. He said Florida is one of the teams where the former Red Wings captain would go and agree to a deal.

Then came the catch. Detroit isn't looking to rebuild, and Friedman wasn't sure the Panthers would be willing to move Eetu Luostarinen.

So there's the outline. A franchise center heading south, a Finnish forward heading north, and a lot of distance between the two price tags.

Florida was one of three teams the center named when he asked out in June, alongside the Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild.

Friedman says that list has since grown to eight or nine teams, every one of them an American club with Cup ambitions.

Eetu Luostarinen sits at the center of the Larkin talks

On paper, Luostarinen fits a club built to win now. The 28-year-old has two goals through three games, one of them on the power play.

His $3,000,000 cap hit is the real appeal. Larkin carries $8,700,000 through 2030-31, leaving a $5,700,000 gap someone has to absorb.

And the production isn't in question. The center posted 34 goals and 67 points last season, finishing a +3.

Career-wise, he sits at 643 points in 808 NHL games, every one of them in a Red Wings sweater. Detroit drafted him 15th overall in 2014.

Moving him for Luostarinen and filler would be a bad trade for Detroit. Plain and simple.

It's like selling your house to pay for a kitchen renovation. Nice counters, nowhere to live.

Shawn Horcoff can't afford a step back right now either. His team opened 0-2-0 on home ice, scoring only twice, including a 0-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

Florida has its own reasons to pick up the phone. Aleksander Barkov is on injured reserve with a knee issue and isn't expected back until at least October 27.

Paul Maurice's group sits at 1-0-2 after three road games, with two straight losses past regulation against San Jose and Anaheim.

Montreal tried its luck too. According to Nick Kypreos, the Canadiens made a run at Larkin before he shut the door.

Kent Hughes will have to shop elsewhere. There's still no Canadian team on the list.

Meanwhile, the pressure in Detroit keeps climbing. Larkin has already heard boos at home, and the Ottawa Senators visit Tuesday night.

So does Bill Zito blink? Florida's general manager has to decide if a center of that caliber is worth reshaping a lineup already scrambling for points.

Detroit and Florida don't meet until November 2. This file won't sit quietly until then.

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