Pierre LeBrun just reported that the Utah Mammoth are trying to stay in the mix for Dylan Larkin in case the price drops.
That makes Utah the newest name in a Larkin market that has been getting crowded by the day, with the Red Wings captain tied to Buffalo and Boston in recent reports.
According to NHL Rumour Report, LeBrun wrote in The Athletic on Wednesday that league sources told him Utah is trying to hang around the rim of the Larkin situation so the Mammoth can pounce if the price comes down.
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The wording matters. Utah isn't described as the aggressor here. The Mammoth are waiting, watching and hoping Detroit's ask softens.
That's a different posture from what we've seen elsewhere. Darren Dreger said on OverDrive that the Bruins would love to make a deal, with Simon Edvinsson the name, in Darren Dreger's Larkin to Boston update. The Sabres, meanwhile, made a big offer that went nowhere.
Chris Johnston reported that Larkin isn't waiving to go to Buffalo, as covered in the Sabres' Larkin offer hitting a wall. That detail alone shapes the whole market.
Why Utah makes sense for Detroit's captain
Utah sits 10-6-0 and second in the Central Division, so this isn't a rebuilding club looking for a long-term project. The Mammoth are 10th in the NHL with 20 points and a +3 goal differential.
Detroit is a different picture. The Red Wings are 7-6-3, 19th in the NHL and eighth in the Atlantic Division, having lost 4-2 at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Larkin has 2 goals and 4 assists through 10 games this season. He's 30, a Waterford, Michigan native and the 15th overall pick of the Red Wings in 2014, with 649 points over 818 career games.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | +3 |
| Career | 818 | 278 | 371 | 649 | -98 |
A club that waits for the price to fall is a club that believes the market will come to it. That's a fair bet if Larkin keeps refusing certain destinations and the Red Wings run out of leverage. It's a bad bet if Boston or someone else meets Detroit's number first.
Utah's chances rest on patience, and patience is the one thing a crowded market rarely rewards. Detroit hosts Vegas tonight while the Mammoth visit Montreal, and the calls will keep going either way.
Should the Red Wings hold firm on their price for Dylan Larkin instead of letting Utah pounce?
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