The Colorado Avalanche could be a dream destination for Dylan Larkin this offseason.
Yes, the Avalanche could end up becoming the team that lands the Detroit Red Wings captain, following his trade request.
Insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Thursday that Larkin had reportedly asked to be moved. While the details are a bit scant at this point, we can assume this report is legit. Friedman is solid and wouldn’t run with this story without it being accurate.
That said, a trade involving Dylan Larkin won’t be easy for the Red Wings. The 29-year-old has a full no-trade clause, essentially controlling where he wants to go. If he chooses Colorado as a destination, the Red Wings may have no choice but to make it happen.
But why Colorado?
The answer is simple. Larkin has been in the league for a decade, and he’s only seen action in five total playoff games. He’s been a good Marine in the Motor City, but could have grown weary of seeing his team consistently fade down the stretch and miss the playoffs.
That’s the sort of thing that could have spurred this trade request. So, it makes sense that Larkin would be looking to join a team close to winning the Stanley Cup.
Of course, the same could be said about Dallas, Vegas, Florida, Minnesota, or even Carolina. But very few teams have the pieces and the cap space to make this trade happen.
That’s precisely where questions could emerge about the Avalanche’s chances of landing Larkin.
Avalanche would have trouble finding pieces and cap space to make Larkin trade work
Realistically, the Avalanche would have a hard time making a Larkin trade work. The club is devoid of high-end prospects or draft picks to make a deal like this happen.
The only real leverage the Avalanche could find is Larkin pointing towards Colorado and saying, “I want to go there.”
If that’s the case, the Avalanche would have to clear cap space to make the deal happen. As it stands, Colorado has $2.9 million in cap space. That’s something to work with. But it’s not nearly enough to fit Larkin’s $8.7 million cap hit for the next five seasons.
Oh, and there’s also the matter of Cale Makar’s contract extension.
As such, the Avalanche would have to move a couple of contracts out to get a Larkin trade over the finish line.
Ross Colton would be the first piece to emerge in this discussion. Potentially, Valeri Nichushkin might pop up as part of the return. Perhaps the Red Wings might want to push for someone like Brock Nelson or Artturi Lehkonen.
Ultimately, seeing Larkin in Colorado may be a pipe dream. But then again, no one really saw Artemi Panarin ending up in Los Angeles or Quinn Hughes in Minnesota.
So, who’s to say Larkin to Colorado can’t happen?
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