The eyes of the hockey world have all fallen on Detroit in recent days, as the Detroit Red Wings' captain, Dylan Larkin, has requested a trade out of the Motor City. On Friday's episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/to-challenge-or-not-to-challenge/id1332150124?i=1000771296373], insider Elliotte Friedman listed the Tampa Bay Lightning as a team he's keeping an eye on for a potential trade. Along with the Lightning, Friedman mentioned that he'll be watching the Dallas Stars as well, but views the Minnesota Wild as the number one team to watch for a Larkin trade. Larkin is historically a player that the Red Wings have been able to count on for 70 or more points per season throughout his career. He assumed their captaincy ahead of the 2020-21 season, and has been a member of their leadership group for close to a decade at this point. As a result, former Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman has a major headache on his hands with Larkin's trade request. For the Lightning, acquiring Larkin would add some more veteran depth down the middle which could be especially useful if Brayden Point doesn't bounce back from a disappointing 2025-26 season. For a player like Larkin though, it's likely safe to assume that the Red Wings would ask for a prospect like Sam O'Reilly in return, which could be a difficult player for Julien Brisebois to give up since O'Reilly seems on the verge of being a very good player for the Lightning. Financially, the Lightning can afford to add Larkin's $8.7 million average annual value on their books. Doing so would ensure that there's a Darren Raddysh sized hole on their blue line that they'd have a considerable amount of trouble filling though. While Raddysh is likely on the way out regardless, given his contract demands, filling that hole with just over $4 million could be difficult to say the least. Acquiring Larkin could help the Lightning push for another Stanley Cup before their current window closes, but it would leave them with a hole that would be difficult to fill unless they strike gold and find another cheap diamond in the rough like Raddysh on the blue line. As with any trade, it'll have it's pros and cons if it comes to fruition.
