The speculation regarding Dylan Larkin’s next team has gained significant traction over the weekend. While just about every team in the NHL, including the Colorado Avalanche, would love to add him, some destinations emerge as more feasible than others.
That brings us to Elliotte Friedman’s latest comments on Larkin’s potential landing spots. Friedman highlighted Dallas and Minnesota as two potential destinations, my colleague Graham Tiedtke noted.
If either one of Dallas or Minnesota landed the 29-year-old top-line center, that’s something that the Avalanche would come to have to terms with.
It wouldn’t be just another superstar landing in the Central Division. It would be a matter of the intra-divisional arms race getting tougher and tougher.
While Colorado did its best to load up during the NHL trade deadline this season, the fact is that adding another star like Larkin to one of the top division rivals makes the climb just a little harder to deal with.
Now, would Larkin in Dallas or Minnesota drop the Avalanche in the standings?
Not necessarily.
The answer to that question depends on a multitude of factors. For instance, if the Stars send Jason Robertson to the Red Wings for Larkin, the Stars would necessarily be that much better. If anything, it would be a case of addition by subtraction.
Minnesota would likely send a bunch of futures to the Red Wings for Larkin. But those futures could come at the expense of a goalie like Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt. If either one of those netminders left Minnesota, would it weaken the club?
Those are factors that could determine whether Dallas or Minnesota would become significantly stronger with Larkin in the fold.
It’s worth noting that Friedman also mentioned Tampa Bay as a destination. Several pundits have pointed towards Vegas as a potential destination. Those are all legit destinations.
But I will say this: Larkin wants to play for a true Stanley Cup contender. That doesn’t quite sound like Dallas or Minnesota at this point. The teams that are closest to the Cup at the moment are Vegas, Carolina, Colorado, and Montreal.
Yes, the four conference finalists from this season. Assuming that Larkin doesn’t want to play for a Canadian team, Colorado could be the destination that no one really sees coming. There is no indication that Colorado could be on the radar at this time.
But it’s also worth pointing out that some pundits believe that Larkin’s representation has handed the Red Wings a list of “approved” teams.
It won’t be until we know what teams are on that list that we can truly speculate about who will win the Larkin sweepstakes. And if there’s a team poised to satisfy Larkin’s expectations, it’s the Avalanche.
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