A “leaked” version of Dylan Larkin’s full trade list emerged on Tuesday. The purported list, as initially reported by the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James, contained a total of 10 teams, with the Colorado Avalanche among them.
To Avs fans, this is old news. About a month ago, we reported here on MHS an initial rumor brought forth by Elliotte Friedman, positing that Colorado was a preferred destination for the erstwhile Red Wings captain.
Dylan Larkin has submitted an updated trade list for the Red Wings, per @HeleneStJames 👀
— BarDown (@BarDown) October 21, 2026
Larkin's original trade list from June only featured the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights. pic.twitter.com/iLhTPmaKMO
That’s why the question begs: So what?
The bottom line is that Avalanche don’t need Larkin, back-to-back East Coast losses notwithstanding. What we saw on Monday night in Philadelphia and Tuesday night in New Jersey would not have changed with Larkin in the lineup. Unless Larkin could somehow fix the power play and boost consistent play 5v5, the reality is that the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze.
The Red Wings still want an arm and a leg for Larkin, making it a bad idea for the Avalanche to seriously pursue this deal.
Larkin to Avalanche could make sense, but two things would have to change
I am a proponent of “never say never.”
It’s a fool’s errand to discount something offhand simply because it doesn’t seem feasible. Circumstances could unexpectedly change, making the impossible seem feasible.
That said, two things would have to change in order for the Avalanche to seriously consider trading for Larkin. The first would evidently be the asking price. The Red Wings would have to come down on their ask, suddenly making Larkin an attractive option for Colorado. If the price tag came down to, say, a mid-tier prospect like Hamilton Beckett, a couple of third-round picks, and a 2029 first-round selection, there’s really no way the Avalanche could meet the Red Wings’ expectations.
The other thing to consider is Larkin’s cap hit. There’s no way that Colorado could fit his $8.7 million cap hit without shipping out a major contract. If the Red Wings were willing to eat about half of Larkin’s cap hit for the next five seasons, it would be very hard for the numbers to work.
So, there you have it. The reality is that no matter how much Larkin wants to play in Colorado, the Avalanche don’t need him and much less can afford him. While things could unexpectedly change, the odds of that happening are likely in the billions.
In the meantime, the chatter is certainly entertaining.
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