Larkin is burnt out...I've said it before - previous captains of this team haven't had to deal with the same crappy roster over their careers as DBoss has...I honestly have no hard feelings if he requested a trade...At this rate Larkin will be 30 plus before he plays another game in the playoffs and likely will never hoist the Cup in Detroit.
I agree. Larkin has had a really rough run both personally and professionally in the past couple of seasons. He knows he is getting towards the tail end of the peak of his career and he hasn't played a playoff game since his rookie year. You can say voicing his frustrations publically makes him a bad captain but I think its an entirely relatable and human reaction to his situation.
Wings probably have another 4-5 seasons before they are competing for a cup, and Larkin is saying will I even still be playing at that point. I don't know if his hockey IQ is high enough to compensate for the eventual skating fall off. So if he wants to be a major part of a cup winner, his best choice may be a trade so I wouldn't blame him.
With that said, I see zero reason for the Wings to trade Larkin unless they are getting an equally good or maybe slightly younger/ equal potential center in return. He is the local guy that puts butts in seats. We do not currently have anyone in the system that could replace his output. We hope Kasper and Danielson can develop into him, but that won't happen next season. With his NTC he is likely only going to accept a deal to a contender, which means we are getting mid to late round 1sts. Again you are unlikely to draft a #1 center here. We waited too long to ensure dumping Larkin = a bottom 5 finish for the Wings.
For the Wings to be successful in dealing Larkin we basically need someone else in a similar position to the Wings having a melt down and being willing to sell an already drafted and developing center to the Wings to potentially bump up their playoff chance. I don't see a ton of options and only the top 2 would I consider realistic. I don't know if Larkin would agree to any of the last 3.
Columbus- Fantilli, small market team needs playoff revenue, and Larkin is good friends with Werenski. Near miss this year.
Kings- Byfield, rapidly losing their window with Kopitar winding down. Had a great regular season but may not make it past the Oilers. Might not want to wait on Byfield to develop and capitalize on what Kopitar has left.
Utah- Logan Cooley, transferred club looking to drum up interest with a playoff run, just on the outside this year. Maybe moves up their window to better coincide with Kellers prime.
Vancouver- Peterson/Larkin swap. Vancouver gets the cap space Wings get a guy that is a bit younger and aligns with our other core players more. Going to be a hard sell for Vancouver after a 45 point season though from Peterson.
St. Louis- Kyro & Thomas, trying to avoid a rebuild, looking for a more veteran presence. I don't think I'd take a Kyrou swap and I doubt they'd deal us Thomas.
