Friedman: Dylan Larkin requests trade

[Sharksfan83]

Sharks have Macklin, Misa and Bystedt down the middle for years. (Pending Bystedt). They just need to build the defence now. Larkin isnt the answer

 

[Dread Clawz]

I don't think the 9th is that attractive to a team that needs to start taking steps forward as soon as they can, unless they already have a plan to flip that 9th for something else.

Any number of NHL ready prospects, or 1st/2nd year roster players who project to be second liners would likely be more valuable than the 9th overall, which is a pick you hope you can find a guy who projects to be a second liner in 4-5 years with.

I really think Detroit should use this opportunity to get younger. Thanks to Yzermans terrible management, that team is filled with mediocre players, buoyed only by a few very good players. They're not one year away. Looking just at their own division, Buffalo and Montreal have totally leapfrogged them and are both still trending up. Tampa is still a quality playoff contender. Ottawa is a solid team. Florida will rebound next year if healthy. You could even make a case that Toronto has a better 2-3 year outlook because they'll get McKenna, plus they have more flexibility with major pieces they could trade and get real value back for. Boston likely overachieved this year, but they're a young team that is improving as well.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Didn’t you hear? Nobody bullies Yzerman… Nobody.

I'm not a fan of Mason McTavish, I don't love the upside, I might take the 9th OA pick over him.

But if I'm in Yzerman's shoes in Detroit, or any GM's shoes in Detroit, I'm taking the 23 year old over the 9th OA every time. You've got to avoid going into a full rebuild that could cost you your best players (namely the two better than Larkin).

Larkin for McTavish plus pieces is a downgrade. That's exactly the kind of idiotic trade that Yzerman has repeatedly made in Detroit. I understand Yzerman didn't want to go younger yet again, but this is the hand he's been dealt . Plus Larkin wanting out is basically his fault.

 

[majormajor]

Larkin for McTavish plus pieces is a downgrade. That's exactly the kind of idiotic trade that Yzerman has repeatedly made in Detroit. I understand Yzerman didn't want to go younger yet again, but this is the hand he's been dealt . Plus Larkin wanting out is basically his fault.

Do you think you could trade the 9th for a much better player than McTavish?

 

[Dread Clawz]

I think that a pretty good 24 year old 2C with term (Lundell) is quite clearly more valuable than 9OA. Ask Panthers fans which they'd rather lose in a vacuum and I think the answer would be unanimous that they'd shed the draft pick.

Yes - I do think Detroit gets a better return than 9OA, Samo, and change. He's a very good two-way pivot who has scored 30+ goals the past four seasons, on a very reasonable contract through the end of his prime. That calibre of center is simply not available frequently enough for Detroit to get low-balled as hard as some folks expect them to. Some Detroit fans have pie-in-the-sky expectations too to be fair.

Frankly, I expect the Larkin deal is pretty close to hammered out, with all parties waiting for the Cup to finish (a Carolina win or loss might alter the extent of their interest, e.g.), and for teams to have a little more draft and FA preparation before a move likely happens around the draft.

I know that Lundell is more valuable than 9th, I'm a Panthers fan. He's been an important part of 2 Cups. But I don't think it's a landslide. This is a deep draft, and like would you trade 3 1sts for Lundell?

I think 9th, Samoskevich, 2 2nds and Vilmanis is a pretty hard offer to beat frankly. Let's face it, Detroit isn't getting Knies, Misa, or the 2nd overall. Plus SJ has plenty of future offense. They need to bolster the blue line. They'll draft Reid and be done with it. One of the most predictable 2nd overall selections in years. The only offer I can see being quite in a class by itself at the top would be if Chicago thinks they're close and offers the 4th.

 

[Dread Clawz]

Do you think you could trade the 9th for a much better player than McTavish?

But that's just it, with Florida he could get much more than the value of McTavish. He could get Smits, Bjorck, Rudolph, Gustafsson, Lawrence etc. with the 9th. All likely future top 4 D or top 6 F. Samoskevich is a likely future 25 goal scorer. Vilmanis is NHL ready, just had a spectacular world's, finished top 10 in scoring. He's gonna be a solid bottom 6 or even middle 6 F for a lot of years. Plus 2 2nds? That's a lot of value right there. It's more futures-based, but let's face it. Yzerman has to sell hope here. He's not gonna win a hockey deal by trading Larkin. It's not happening.

 

[FMichael]

Larkin for McTavish plus pieces is a downgrade. That's exactly the kind of idiotic trade that Yzerman has repeatedly made in Detroit. I understand Yzerman didn't want to go younger yet again, but this is the hand he's been dealt . Plus Larkin wanting out is basically his fault.

Really - repeatedly made?

Yzerman’s fault for Larkin wanting out?

Wow…..

 

[lwvs84]

But that's just it, with Florida he could get much more than the value of McTavish. He could get Smits, Bjorck, Rudolph, Gustafsson, Lawrence etc. with the 9th. All likely future top 4 D or top 6 F. Samoskevich is a likely future 25 goal scorer. Vilmanis is NHL ready, just had a spectacular world's, finished top 10 in scoring. He's gonna be a solid bottom 6 or even middle 6 F for a lot of years. Plus 2 2nds? That's a lot of value right there. It's more futures-based, but let's face it. Yzerman has to sell hope here. He's not gonna win a hockey deal by trading Larkin. It's not happening.

That's fair if you trust your coaching staff getting a high end player or better fit at 9, but McTavish has a good chance of being a 25+ goal scorer. He had 22 a year ago, and it's not like he's had top players in his line. I think he'll settle in as a 55-65 point 2nd liner (TBD if wing or C). He needs a summer working with team trainers and a full training camp with the new system. He worked out on his own and bulked up too much (added the wrong type of muscle), which affected his skating and speed wasn't one of his strengths before. And it's not going to be McTavish straight up, he'll have other assets, just not McQueen, Solberg, Mintyukov.