The Washington Capitals have an interesting task ahead of them this season: They want to send Alex Ovechkin out as well as they can.
The NHL’s all-time leader in goals has already announced that this will be his last season, and so the Caps know that Ovi’s farewell will be a subplot of this entire year.
This is a Washington team that planned on contending for a playoff spot anyway, but that puts even a bit more pressure on everything.
And that, in part, is what brings the Capitals to Dylan Larkin.
Larkin is the Detroit Red Wings’ former captain who lost his ‘C’ when he requested a trade in the offseason.
Initially, Larkin approved just three teams as those he would go to in a trade — the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers — and since Larkin has a no-trade clause, he had that kind of control.
That made it tough for the Red Wings to find a trade partner that offered enough for their liking, though, and so Larkin has actually begun the season with Detroit and is on the ice playing games even while being part of trade discussions.
It’s a spot that must be awkward for everyone involved, and so other teams have wondered whether they too could eventually get into the mix for a deal.
The latest news suggests the Capitals have a better chance than ever before.
Capitals’ Dylan Larkin Trade Update
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported on Tuesday that Larkin’s trade list is now 10 teams, not three, meaning he has added seven others along the way.
“As he awaits a trade, Larkin, 30, has told the Red Wings he’d be willing to move to at least seven additional teams, according to a source: the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Utah Mammoth and Washington Capitals,” Wyshynski writes. “The list was first reported by the Detroit Free Press. Despite Montreal Canadiens fans having recently chanted ‘We Want Larkin!’ when the Red Wings visited Bell Centre, a source told ESPN that Larkin is not looking for a trade to a Canadian team.”
That’s a massive development for Washington, which clearly has competition but also now has a legitimate chance.
Dylan Strome’s Importance
The Capitals almost certainly will have to deal their center Dylan Strome in any Larkin trade.
Strome is talented, plays the same position as Larkin, and is the biggest contract the Capitals have on a player without a no-trade clause. They can move Strome without him rejecting.
Washington will likely have to hope Detroit likes Strome, because he almost certainly would be the starting point to any Dylan-for-Dyaln trade negotiations here.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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