During the NHL offseason, former Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade. As one of the best players in the organization, he’s signed to a long-term deal until 2031 and has a full no-movement clause. Initially, his list of preferred destinations was short and included the Vegas Golden Knights. Recent reports indicate Larkin has expanded that list, with the reigning Western Conference champions still among his preferred destinations.
So, armed with this knowledge, would it be wise for Kelly McCrimmon to try to make a deal or let an elite center go to another rival? Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of a potential blockbuster deal.
Pro: Golden Knights would add another 30-goal scorer
Larkin has been in the NHL for 11 seasons now and is a six-time 30-goal scorer, with a career-best 34 last season. In 808 games, he’s collected 276 goals, including 86 power-play tallies, nine shorthanded goals, and 40 game-winners. Although he's reached a point-per-game pace only once in his career, he’s tallied at least 30 goals in five consecutive campaigns.
For the past two years, Pavel Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights with 35 and 37 goals before being traded to the New York Rangers. Unless Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, or someone else reaches 30 goals, Vegas is missing another offensive weapon. If they acquire Larkin, he could help fill the void left by Dorofeyev’s departure.
Con: Vegas would have to move a big-name contract to make the math work
As mentioned, Larkin is signed through the 2030-31 season with a modest $8.5 million AAV. Even though the salary cap is going up, the Golden Knights currently don’t have the space on the books to bring him in. Until the team makes its final cuts, they are currently over the salary cap by a little over $600k, so there’s no room to take on an $8.5 million deal.
In order to facilitate a trade with the Red Wings, McCrimmon would have to make the difficult decision to move a couple of roster players who carry a similar contract. Are Golden Knights fans ready to part with someone like Ivan Barbashev ($5 million), William Karlsson ($5.9 million), or even Jeremy Lauzon ($4 million) to make the numbers work? That doesn't necessarily mean those three would be the casualties; Vegas could move someone like Tomas Hertl, Nic Dowd, or even Shea Theodore to get Detroit to accept.
Stranger things have happened, but realistically, in order to land Larkin, someone with a big contract would need to land on LTIR or be included in the deal.
Pro: Another blockbuster would keep the Golden Knights in contention
After a rather quiet summer, which didn’t feature any blockbuster deals, many wondered if this year’s Golden Knights team is good enough to win the Stanley Cup. Several NHL experts have questioned whether Vegas can overcome the loss of Dorofeyev, and acquiring someone of Larkin's caliber would quickly quiet those concerns. Across the league, many fanbases dislike Vegas because they attract and acquire top players and have been a dominant team for a decade.
Considering the Golden Knights will not land Connor Hellebuyck, which would really irritate 31 other fanbases, landing Larkin would be a great consolation prize. Since Eichel anchors the top line, he’d slide into the center role on Vegas’ second line and be paired with playmaker Marner. Together, they could work magic, and Larkin could finish with 40 goals while helping the organization stay in contention to win their second Stanley Cup next spring.
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