Dylan Larkin trade talks have escalated, but a deal isn't necessarily imminent: LeBrun

Dylan Larkin will not play for the Detroit Red Wings tonight against Chicago, and the trade chatter around him just jumped a level.

Todd McLellan kept it short this morning. The Red Wings head coach said general manager Shawn Horcoff will address the situation, which is about the loudest non-answer a coach can give.

Then Pierre LeBrun poured gas on it. He reported that trade talks on Larkin have escalated, while noting a deal isn't necessarily imminent and things can still go a few different directions.

Darren Dreger reposted it. When two of the most connected insiders in hockey are on the same thread before lunch, Detroit fans shouldn't file this under noise.

The timing is wild. Horcoff was named general manager on September 15, and his first major storyline is a cornerstone forward sitting out a home game.

Larkin carries an $8,700,000 cap hit, the biggest on the roster. That number alone narrows the list of buyers who can make the math work in late October.

Shawn Horcoff faces his first franchise-defining call in Detroit

The production hasn't been the issue. The 30-year-old has 2 goals and 4 assists through 10 games, with a +3 rating and 2 power play assists.

Others have carried more of the load. Alex DeBrincat leads Detroit with 13 points, and Lucas Raymond has 3 goals over his last 5 games.

The team sits 5-4-3, eighth in the division. And a -4 goal differential doesn't exactly scream contender or seller.

So what exactly is Horcoff shopping for?

The real leak is in the crease. John Gibson owns an .867 save percentage through 8 appearances, and Daniil Tarasov is listed day-to-day.

Moving Larkin now would be a bad idea. It's like selling the house because the kitchen faucet drips, when the water is actually coming through the roof.

Depth makes it worse. Marco Kasper is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury until at least November 12, and Mason Appleton is out until at least the same date.

Pull another proven NHL forward out of that group and the lineup starts looking thin in a hurry.

Tonight should offer some cover. Chicago rolls in at 4-8-0, still winless on the road in four tries, for the first meeting between these teams this season.

Connor Bedard has 5 points over his last 5 games, so the Blackhawks aren't arriving empty-handed.

Then Detroit hosts St. Louis on Saturday before a road trip that opens with a back-to-back against Florida and Tampa Bay on November 2 and 3.

Horcoff has the floor now. What he says next will tell that locker room whether Larkin's next shift comes in a Detroit sweater or somebody else's.

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More details to come.

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Also read on Markerzone.com:
Red Wings former captain Dylan Larkin out tonight, Shawn Horcoff to address situation