The Florida Panthers haven't engaged on Dylan Larkin, even with Florida on his list of destinations, according to a report from Pierre LeBrun.
That's a surprise. General manager Bill Zito has never been shy about swinging big, and his captain is out of the lineup.
Aleksander Barkov is listed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least Nov. 27. He played 2 games this season and has no points.
Larkin is a top-line center who has 6 points in 10 games this season. He's also sitting in limbo while Detroit sorts out its next move.
Detroit is playing Chicago tonight, and the Red Wings are in the first period as this goes up. Larkin's situation the Red Wings' plan to wait out a Larkin trade hasn't changed the standings math for them yet.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | +3 |
| Career | 818 | 278 | 371 | 649 | -98 |
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The most telling part of the LeBrun update, as relayed by R i N K Y, is that Florida and Colorado have not engaged, because it's just not a fit for some of the teams on that list.
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The same report points to Carolina, New Jersey and Washington as intriguing possibilities from the actual list. Florida isn't one of them, at least for now.
Why a Barkov-less Panthers team could still change its mind
Florida is 7-4-2 and has won 2 straight, including a 5-1 win in Winnipeg on Tuesday. That's a team that's holding its own without its best center.
It sits 3rd in the Atlantic. The Panthers host the Jets again Friday, and a long Barkov absence means the center depth gets tested every night.
Money matters here too. Larkin carries an $8,700,000 cap hit through 2030-31, and Barkov is at $10,000,000 through 2029-30. Fitting both is a real question, and nothing in the report suggests Florida has even run the numbers.
Detroit, meanwhile, is 21st in the league at 5-4-3 with a -4 goal differential. Elliotte Friedman's read on the Red Wings' Larkin stance was that GM Shawn Horcoff is still early in figuring out a market.
Is Florida's silence a real pass or just patience? With Barkov out until late November at least, Zito may not stay quiet for long. Horcoff has no reason to rush, and neither does anyone else.
Should the Panthers go all in on Dylan Larkin while Aleksander Barkov is on injured reserve?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Dylan Larkin's agent Pat Brisson issues statement for his client after removal from Red Wings lineup
