Overview
- The expansion was first reported Oct. 20 and lists Florida, Minnesota, Vegas, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay, New Jersey and Colorado as Larkin’s approved destinations.
- Larkin holds a full no‑trade clause on an eight‑year deal with an $8.7 million average annual value, which gives him destination control and complicates salary‑cap fits for potential buyers.
- Detroit is refusing offers heavy on picks and prospects and is pressing for immediate NHL contributors, a stance described by insiders as the key reason no trade has closed.
- Front‑office turnover slowed talks this summer after Steve Yzerman stepped down and Shawn Horcoff became interim GM, and Detroit is simultaneously managing stalled contract talks with RFA Simon Edvinsson.
- Insiders have suggested a trade could be near, but cap constraints, Detroit’s steep asking price and the need for creative or three‑team solutions keep the situation unresolved and maintain pressure on Larkin and the club.