Dylan Larkin is the best player potentially available this offseason, a 29-year-old center in his prime who just requested a trade out of Detroit. The Edmonton Oilers have a possible need down the middle behind Connor McDavid, assuming the plan is to play McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line.

And if the Darnell Nurse deal gets done, the Oilers will have real cap space to spend. So — does this make sense?

Probably not. And the reasons why are worth understanding.

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The Oilers' need for a second-line center is dependent on a few factors. Where does Draisaitl play? Can the Oilers find a top-six winger? Is McDavid staying? What would happen with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins?

As good as Larkin is, on a team that doesn't have so many unanswered questions, Larkin makes more sense.

Draisaitl is one of the best players in the world. He's a center by trade who occasionally shifts to wing based on matchups and a coach's need to stack the top line. The idea that Edmonton desperately needs a second pivot ignores the fact that they already have one of the most dominant offensive players on the planet who can play that role. Larkin would be a luxury, not a necessity — and at $8.7 million through 2029, he's an expensive luxury for a team with other urgent needs.

To acquire Larkin, you're almost certainly giving up a first-round pick. That would be worth it for the Oilers if they could also move Nurse as part of the trade. If not, it's a lot for the Oilers to part with, given that they don't have a first this year or next. Moving another one means not drafting in the first round for three straight summers. 

Steve Yzerman lost some leverage when the trade request leaked. That said, he's not about to dump Larkin for a song. He'll extract as close to full value as he can, and Edmonton's prospect pool isn't deep enough to really pique his interest.  Ike Howard and Matt Savoie are the best Edmonton has to offer. Neither likely gets it done. 

This may be the biggest one. Larkin might have to work with Detroit on where he goes if he badly wants out. That doesn't mean he'll choose the Oilers or that he's got any interest in going to Canada. 

Larkin's full no-trade clause means he controls exactly where he lands, and everything about his profile suggests he'll choose a team that's a piece or two away from genuine contention — not one that just got bounced in the first round and appears to be trending in the wrong direction.

Teams like Minnesota, Montreal, and Vegas have been linked to him for good reason. They're not just built to win now, but they look to be on the way up if not always in the Stanley Cup conversation. Edmonton, at this particular moment, is looking more like a maybe than a Cup contender. 

The odds that Larkin and Edmonton could be a thing are not zero. McDavid is always a recruiting tool, and there's an argument that a core of McDavid, Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Larkin is terrifying enough to override other concerns.

But the asset cost, the contract length, the team's transitional state, and Larkin's own priorities all point in the same direction. The Oilers have bigger, more immediate problems to solve this offseason — and spending heavily on a second center probably isn't the answer to any of them.

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