Larkin is NOT leaving. Regardless Dreger's according to or not to.

i wouldn’t say he’s a top 10 C in the league or anything but he’s a lower end 1C for sure. problem is for guys like him who are UFAs or close to it, the difference between top 10 C money and regular 1C money is pretty slim and even the lower end guys are making 8-9mil. if i had to guess yzerman probably sees him as a max 8mil player but larkin wants 9-9.5. i think yzerman ends up keeping him, they don’t have anyone in the system to replace him

I'd classify him as a low end 1C better suited as a 2nd line centre if you want to truly make the playoffs. I'm a big fan of his game, but he hasn't produced enough to be considered a true 1C imo. I say gets the same deal as Horvat as you have outlined in this post.

If Yzerman truly doesn’t see Larkin as a 1C, he is a lot dumber than I thought. That being said, teams that would be very interested in acquiring him would include Carolina, Boston, Calgary, Dallas, and quite a few other teams, but I imagine the four aforementioned teams would be the most likely suitors.

CBJ

Larkin is a 1C in Detroit and isn't being traded unless it's for an extreme overpay. Yzerman isn't starting next season with 3rd liner Andrew Copp as his 1C.

July 1st isn't next week.

I agree on your assessment of him, but really not sure what the deal could look like if that's how Yzerman feels.

Finding a #1C is probably the hardest thing to just go out and buy outside of a #1 RHD. When you're in a situation like this it's a mistake to let a player like Larkin go. It will set them back years. It's best to try build a top six by committee and identify another Horvat-type or when a top winger becomes available.

People on here said the same about Zibby. Larkin is 💯 a 1C and ya he’s outside the top 10 but what playoff teams outside of EDM actually have a 2C(Draisaitl) that’s better than Larkin.. larking is get Zibby money and Yzerman is paying it with his tail between his legs.

Agreed they should resign him. The only sure way to get a true #1 C is the draft. Or get super lucky like what happend to Buffalo with Thompson haha. It's going to be a process for Detroit to get competitive again.

The difference between Zibby and Larkin is production. Larkin has not been able to reach the #1 center points like Zibby has. If his contract was up now its 9.5m+. Larkin should come in around 8.5m.

Steve will end up caving because at the end of the day they dont have a choice.

They dont have a realistic 1c in the prospect pool. Kaspar if they are lucky may one day be a low end 1c buts thats far from a garuntee.

Theres no other 1c who will be a UFA whos a replacement for larkin.

Gambling that summer 2024 one of the 1c makes it to free agency and ALSO wants to sign with you is risky at best.

I mean ideally he wouldn't be your number 1 center he'd be the guy to go along with a superstar 1st center. He's a good player but he just can't be your best player. If it came to dealing him you have to get a high end prospect and a 1st probably a kicker,

Top 6 by committee rarely works. St Louis did the whole thing by committee. Before that...Carolina ?

but if you don’t have the stars, that’s your only option. do you sell off pieces again and wait until you find a guy in the draft with the real risk of not finding the guy for years and years? or do you do the best with what you have? there’s no real obvious answer.

I was Kasper guy 9 months before the draft. I literally called it as Detroit's pick. If Detroit drafted a bit higher, they'd still have gone Kasper. A bit lower, they may have traded up. It was always Kasper.

Why always Kadper? Complete game. COMPLETE. I was down on him to start this season, but I have been shamed. I had Kasper pegged as a 2C with a 1C low prob and a 3C absolute floor.

2C is his new floor. In 3 years, if Larkin stays, Kasper is 1C, Larkin 2C. With Seider and Edvinsson, this is a cup contender.

There is an obvious answer. Sell until you get the star. Committee teams make it from time to time, but rarely win it. Nobody wants to end up like Minnesota or Nashville. They are always good, but not good enough.

He hasnt passed the .5 ppg threshold in the shl this year its not like dominating at a lower level ttpical of 1Cs.

Larkin doesn’t have elite playing with him like Zibby does. Bread and fox would get him to that range. Hronek and bertuzzi aren’t that level

He is .5 points shy of a .5ppg pace. He started a bit slow, iirc, and is one of only 2 juniors getting regular minutes playing with men. The SHL is about on par, just a half step below, the AHL. It is a conservative league for scoring, so a .5 ppg pace for a guy under 20 is pretty exceptional.

Pettersson who most wouldnt consider a top 15 C in the league was over a ppg in SHL in his D+1

Lindholm in his draft year had 30 in 48

His pace suggests middling 2c and not a 1c at this point

I mean, top six by committee when you have a player like Larkin isn't far-fetched. I'm not saying it's easy, but if you find another Horvat-type I think you can be very competitive.