Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, and the NHL world is exploding with possibilities. With Larkin's name on the board, every team in hockey is making their case and weighing their options in the hopes to land Larkin on their team.
Larkin is a 29 year old center who has been with Detroit since he was 18. Eleven seasons on the same team is a long time. In many cases, it's longer than a single career. But to go to the playoffs only once during that tenure is a frustrating concept. Larkin has been a consistent offensive producer, and he's been strong when needed.
Why the Blackhawks should make the call
It's not every day that inter divisional trades happen, and it's not every day that the Red Wings and the Blackhawks make a trade. But Larkin is the caliber of player that can make any front office forget rivalries. His ceiling is a big reason why the Blackhawks need to tuck in their pride and inquire immediately. The Blackhawks have the capital and draft picks necessary to at the very least enter the conversation.
Larkin would be a natural fit in Chicago. Young Connor Bedard would not be relied upon to carry the center position exclusively. Larking would immediately become one of the team's best forwards, and his leadership on the bench and in the locker room would be paralleled by few. Taking that pressure off of Bedard could seriously unlock the potential that Bedard has shown left and right.
The unfortunate reality of the situation does lie in the optics of it all. With the division rivalry between these two original six teams, the conflict runs deep. Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings executive VP and GM, may have a clash with Larkin, but sending the captain away to the Blackhawks would not sit well with the fan base. It's far more likely that if a trade with Larkin does happen, it would be outside the division.
Larkin may never wear a Blackhawks sweater, but that shouldn't stop Kyle Davidson from making the phone call. Players with his combination of talent, leadership, and experience rarely become available, and Chicago can't afford to ignore an opportunity of this magnitude.D
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