The Larkin Stalemate Just Got Quieter
Four teams approved. One ask rejected. September's coming.
Chris Johnston's podcast update was blunt: 'It's gone quiet on his file.' Larkin expanded his approved list to four teams — Florida, Minnesota, Vegas, Dallas. But when Detroit asked Dallas for Wyatt Johnston, Dallas said no. That's the entire negotiation in miniature: Detroit wants a package that justifies trading their captain. The approved teams aren't offering it.
The no-movement clause gives Larkin all the control, which means he can wait. Detroit can wait too — they're paying him $8.7M AAV for four more years regardless. Neither side has urgency. Chris Johnston's prediction: 'Would not surprise me if we fire up the podcast the first week of September and Dylan Larkin's still a member of the Red Wings.'
I've got this trade happening before October 1 at 0.25 confidence. The math says stalemate. The timeline says September at earliest. Nothing in today's briefing changes that.