If that's what it would take to sign Larkin, he'd already be extended in Detroit. He's my dream signing, too, but it's not happening for that little.

I don't see the blues buying at this deadline. Way more likely to sell

Detroit is a better team than CBJ right now. Larkin will sign there for $10M with Detroit rather a lesser contract with CBJ.

Also, the lineup above would look a lot better if you inserted the projected top 3 OA center pick the Jackets will be selecting: Bedard, Fantilli or Leo Carlsson
(they all are/will be considered NHL-ready by 10/2023)...

I can eat about 3 lbs of curry.

That defense is still poo.

Larkin is a low-end 1C. I’d so much rather slot Bedard or Fantilli in there.

Highly debatable and I'm tired of pretending it isn't. A healthy CBJ is just as good as Detroit and Larkin easily swings the advantage in CBJ's favour. The CBJ's prospect/youth pool is every bit as promising as Detroits is too so Larkin sacrifices nothing and gains better veteran players and his best friend to play with in Columbus. Larkin signing in Columbus is a no brainer for him and is almost certainly going to happen on a team friendly deal after Yzerman screws up the negotiations in Detroit with his overinflated ego.

What is the time frame to eat 3lbs of curry?
The defense is indeed still poo and the money for Maatta and Anderson would be better spent on someone like Graves.
Lasrkin is indeed a low-end 1C and is head and shoulders above our best current option.
I have absolutely no reason to beleive that Bedard, Fantilli or Carlson will be a legit 1C in the NHL within the next 3 years until proven otherwise.

Blues pass. They'll just re-sign Barby, who does more, to a cheaper extension.

18.5 minutes.

I did a top 96 center list earlier in the year and had Larkin around 28 and I think Jenner around 52. I’d say he’s nose and eyes above our current 1C. Maybe not head and shoulders, but we’re splitting theoretical hairs

Except comparatively, similar players of their caliber in a draft like this have become 1Cs pretty quickly. Happens all the time. You know the top 20 centers in the league? They all came from the draft. The best ones were picked in the top three.

I don't know about that. Detroit is probably a year ahead of Columbus in rebuild, although without Larkin that looks a lot rougher for them. Copp is not a 1c and Kasper isn't anywhere near ready yet. Maybe Veleno? Maybe Fabbri? I'd honestly take Columbus's center depth over that, which is saying something. That said, their defensive ducks are much closer to being in a row than ours, and they definitely have a more stable goalie situation. If Larkin stays, I think they're in a better position for 23-24 than us. If he goes, they're very screwed unless they manage to land Horvat or a blockbuster trade.

It does feel like the Yzerplan is stalling out a bit, though.

a person that realizes Larkin isn't all that to be a franchise center (rare)

only way I could see him signing something under 10 mill here is the Zach (and Odette) discount