Boston Bruins
Dylan Larkin could be a potential upgrade for the Bruins, but is it worth the cost to pry him out of Detroit?
It remains to be seen where former Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will play next as he awaits the end of his months-long trade request.
For now, Larkin is biding his time — with the Red Wings suspending him without pay after the 30-year-old center announced last week that he’ll no longer report to Detroit games or practices until a trade is struck.
Given that Larkin is now losing over $41,000 a day with his suspension, the pressure is on for Larkin to start anew.
And based on several reports, the Bruins are waiting to strike if the veteran center expresses an interest in joining Boston.
One of the primary reasons for the lack of momentum in Larkin trade talks has revolved around his 10-team list of organizations he’d approve a trade to — with The Detroit Free Press reporting that he’d sign off on trades to the Panthers, Wild, Golden Knights, Hurricanes, Avalanche, Stars, Devils, Lightning, Mammoth and Capitals.
But several of those teams either don’t have the cap space, trade assets, or outright need for help down the middle to be in the Larkin sweepstakes — further stalling this drawn-out process.
As such, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted over the weekend that Larkin might drop a few teams from his trade list and add additional suitors to speed up trade talks.
On Tuesday, TSN’s Darren Dreger said that Larkin has yet to make any changes to those preferred trade destinations — but added that teams like the Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are waiting to strike if Larkin makes some amendments.
“I know that [Detroit’s] director of pro scouting, Kris Draper, was in Boston for the Bruins versus Vegas Golden Knights game,” Dreger said. “We believe that the Bruins are no different than the Montreal Canadiens and would like to get on to Larkin’s list. … So, if you’re Don Sweeney in Boston or Kent Hughes of the Canadiens, you’re very eager to get involved. They believe that they have the pieces that can encourage Larkin to [go to] their cities, but that hasn’t happened yet.”
The Bruins — who have continued to validate belief in their upward trajectory amid an 11-4-1 start — have the assets to potentially entice the Red Wings, as well as a need to add more talent at the center position.
But even if Larkin eventually acquiesces and accepts Boston as a viable destination, is the former Red Wings star and Team USA Olympian the type of player an ascending Bruins team should be going all in for?
Larkin would be an upgrade. But is he a true needle-mover?
Would Larkin help the Bruins in 2026 and beyond? Without a doubt.
Despite the poor optics around his trade request, Larkin is still a 1C who can drive play, cash in on chances in transition and on the power play, and log heavy minutes.
Larkin has scored 30 or more goals in six seasons, and has averaged 70.8 points a year from 2022-26.
While the Bruins might have some reservations about signing Pavel Zacha to a long-term deal this summer worth upward of $10 million per season, pivoting to a player like Larkin could be a prudent case of asset management — given that Larkin has more proven production while on a more agreeable contract ($8.7 million annual cap hit through the 2030-31 season).
Planting Larkin atop Boston’s forward corps — and slotting in young pivots Fraser Minten and James Hagens behind him — would seemingly solve the Bruins’ longstanding challenge of finding stability at center in the post-Bergeron/Krejci era.
But even if Larkin is a very good player — is he the type of player who shifts the Bruins from a rising power into an elite contender?
Perhaps if other youngsters like Hagens and Minten continue to elevate their respective games, that would be the case.
But Larkin alone isn’t the type of transformative talent that puts the Bruins over the top, nor is he the final piece that validates Boston as a team primed to contend for a Cup over the next few years.
As talented as he may be, Larkin’s lackluster play down the stretch with the Red Wings last season (just two even-strength goals in his final 23 games) does raise a few eyebrows.
And to the season, an NHL Network panel tabbed Larkin as the 20th-best center in the league. That’s better than anything Boston currently has on its roster, but is that the type of player the Bruins should give up premium assets for?
The cost is the real question.
Ultimately, Boston’s interest in Larkin may hinge on what Detroit interim GM Shawn Horcoff wants in a trade for his former captain.
With Boston already reaping the rewards of its youth movement with the arrival of Hagens, Minten, and others, Sweeney might be willing to move a few first-round picks to placate Detroit.
Boston has its full cupboard of first-rounders in the coming years, along with a potentially unprotected 2028 first-round pick from the Maple Leafs (at least, if Philadelphia holds onto Toronto’s 2027 first-rounder).
Flipping a center like Zacha for Larkin could align with the Bruins’ succession plan at 1C — with Detroit reportedly valuing some established NHLers over a trade package heavy on future assets.
Still, Zacha (who would likely have to agree to a long-term deal with Detroit) would be only one piece of the puzzle.
The Bruins won’t have much appetite to move either James Hagens or Fraser Minten — two youngsters who are both contributing now and are expected to be franchise pillars for this team moving forward.
But other younger NHLers like Matt Poitras and Mason Lohrei could be potential trade chips in such a swap, while the Red Wings would likely place a premium on Boston’s top prospect, Dean Letourneau.
For now, Larkin is definitely a safer bet than the 20-year-old Letourneau.
But the Bruins could also argue that a 6-foot-7, skilled center like Letourneau boasts a higher ceiling than Larkin if he finds his footing in the NHL — with a potential pro debut on tap for this spring once Letourneau closes out his junior year at BC.
Letourneau may not be as untouchable as, say, Hagens. And the Bruins do have to give to get if they really want to add talent and accelerate this retool.
But if Boston were to bite the bullet and move Letourneau, they might be more willing to move him as part of a deal for a 23-year-old, top-pairing defenseman like Detroit’s Simon Edvinsson — as opposed to moving a potential unicorn center prospect for a 30-year-old pivot like Larkin.
If Detroit is willing to bite on a package of assets like Zacha, Poitras, Lohrei, a first-round pick, and even a prospect like Will Zellers or Cooper Simpson, Boston might be willing to make the move.
But the Bruins also shouldn’t overextend themselves for a player who may not exactly elevate Boston into a contender.
The Bruins might want to play the waiting game.
Similar to Larkin’s current stance, the Bruins’ best move might be to wait things out and assess when it is the right time to put some of their chips on the table for a major move.
For now, the Bruins appear to be on the right track this season. Their current crop of young talent has played a major role in these impressive returns out of the gate.
Ideally, the Bruins’ plans to add talent in 2026 would mirror their offseason trade of JJ Peterka — when they gave up two first-round picks to bring in a 24-year-old player under contract through the 2029-30 season.
It remains to be seen whether Larkin would even add Boston to his list of approved teams.
And even if that breaks the Bruins’ way, the Red Wings’ focus on more win-now assets might limit the value of that cupboard of first-round picks that Boston might be more willing to move over a top prospect like Letourneau.
But if the Bruins wanted to pivot, other appealing options could present themselves.
If there was more of a focus on defense, a pair of first-round picks could appeal to a true rebuilding team like the Canucks — especially for a minutes-eating stalwart like Filip Hronek.
He might have a heftier contract ($11.6 million AAV) than Larkin, but 27-year-old Elias Pettersson also has a higher upside than Larkin as a 1C — especially in the midst of a resurgent year with Vancouver.
And if the Bruins want to remain patient and let their youth continue to develop, it may not be the worst thing to enter the offseason with a projected $24 million in cap space — especially if Nikita Kucherov hits the open market.
Pursuing Kucherov is a case study in and of itself, given both his age (33) and the sizable contract he’ll command this summer.
But even the slight chance of adding a player like Kucherov this offseason (without giving up assets via trade) might be worth it for Boston — essentially eliminating the search for a 1C if you have the luxury of stapling generational wingers like Kucherov and Pastrnak next to young centers like Hagens and Minten.
For now, Larkin and his camp haven’t shown much interest in entertaining the Bruins.
The Bruins should return the favor by not pulling out all the stops to acquire a very good — but not franchise-altering — talent in return.
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