Devils Should Be in on the Dylan Larkin Sweepstakes
Dylan Larkin is available, and the New Jersey Devils should make their pitch to acquire him.
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You don’t see trade requests too often in the NHL, but there was a big one yesterday afternoon. Elliotte Friedman reported that Dylan Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
Friedman cited Larkin’s somewhat frosty relationship with Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings’ inability to make the playoffs as reasons for the trade request.
Larkin would be a high-end second-line center on a Cup contender. The New Jersey Devils have a strong 1-2 punch with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, but they should still throw their hat in the ring.
What Larkin Brings to the Table
Larkin has been the Red Wings’ franchise cornerstone, so to speak, for the last five years or so. He blossomed into a top-line center for them and was on Team USA’s gold medal Olympic roster this past winter.
However, it wasn’t Larkin’s best season. He finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 47.45 percent and had a goal differential of -5 at five-on-five.
Perhaps that was a product of the team, but Larkin was still productive. He totaled 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games, the fourth straight season in which he potted 30+ goals.
Even though Larkin wasn’t his best this season, there’s still plenty to like when you peek underneath the hood. He’s an excellent playmaker, perhaps one of the best in the NHL, and he creates a ton of offense off the rush.
Larkin also excels in transition, an area where the Devils could use a boost, especially when trying to break out of the defensive zone. Having another puck carrier who can drive play would help:
Even though he turns 30 on July 29, Larkin isn’t showing any signs of decline. As Jack Han stated, any non-tanking team should be interested in Larkin, although he believes that means he’ll end up on a team in a non-tax state (Tampa, Vegas, etc.).
The Devils are not looking to tank, obviously, so they fit what Han is talking about. But can they make it work?
How Larkin Could Fit With the Devils
First off, let’s get this out of the way. The Devils should NOT trade Nico Hischier for Larkin. I’ve seen plenty of that on social media over the last 24 hours, but it makes no sense for the Devils.
I suppose you’d have to consider it if Hischier wants out himself, but there’s nothing to indicate that’s the case at this time. Odds are he’ll sign an extension with the Devils. If you’re acquiring Larkin, you’ll want him to play with Hischier and Jack Hughes.
This is where the fit gets a bit tricky, though. In theory, you could line up 1-2-3 with Hughes, Hischier, and Larkin down the middle, but I don’t think Larkin would be interested in playing a third-line center role.
Another option, one that makes sense for the Devils, is to give Larkin a shot alongside Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Hughes and Larkin played together on a line at the Olympics, and they looked quite good as linemates.
What would Larkin bring to that line? Faceoffs. Generally speaking, faceoffs are an overrated statistic in the grand scheme of things.
However, Hughes has a career faceoff percentage of 35 percent. Meanwhile, Larkin has a career faceoff percentage of 52.8 percent, which is a significant difference.
Larkin could take draws for Hughes, then shift to the wing during gameplay. It’d be a similar setup to what the Devils had when Erik Haula was on a line with Hughes and Bratt. The difference here is that Larkin is a significantly better player than Haula.
Furthermore, we know Hughes has had trouble staying healthy the last few seasons. Could the Devils find a better safety valve than Larkin, who could easily shift to the 2C role if Hughes misses time due to injury? I doubt it.
From that angle, I see the fit. But how keen would Larkin be on playing that kind of role? Time will tell.
Potential Cost of Acquiring Larkin
The Red Wings are not in a great position here. In theory, you’d think Larkin would be able to fetch them a king’s ransom, but he has a full no-trade clause. He will pick his destination, so that may limit what the Red Wings can net in return.
As far as comps go, what the Vancouver Canucks received from the New York Rangers for J.T. Miller may offer a glimpse of what it’d take to acquire Larkin.
For those who don’t remember, the Canucks received Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Going off that, the Devils would have to give up their first-round pick (12th overall) in the 2026 draft, one of Šimon Nemec or Dawson Mercer (maybe both), and a B-level prospect.
That may seem pricey, but their 2026 first, Nemec or Mercer, and a prospect isn’t an outrageous price for a proven 30-goal, 60-point scorer.
Larkin is under contract for five more seasons at a cap hit of $8.7 million, so there’s plenty of team control. And he’s a clear upgrade over what the Devils would have to give up.
If there’s an issue here, it is making the cap space work. The Devils have $13.125 million in cap space. I’m sure there are cap-clearing moves to come (more on that tomorrow), but it’ll get tight quickly, even when moving Mercer’s $4 million cap hit.
Let’s say the Devils trade Nemec, Mercer, and their 2026 first for Larkin. They also end up signing Arseny Gritsyuk to a five-year extension worth $5.5 million per year and buy out the final year of Maxim Tsyplakov’s contract. That would leave the Devils with a roster of 18 and just $3.175 million in cap space:
As mentioned, there would be some cap-clearing moves to come, but the Devils’ roster would still have some holes to fill, and with not much money to do so. So they would have to get creative to make the money work.
The Devils could use someone who can play the wing and center; that’s why Mason McTavish makes sense as a trade target, too. Larkin would fill that need and provide the Devils with a top-six upgrade.
My guess is that Larkin ends up with a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, but the Devils would be wise to get in on the sweepstakes and see if they can convince him to join Jack and Luke Hughes in the Garden State.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stats
Excellent article, Alex!