A rejected Dylan Larkin trade is making headlines for one surprising reason

Dylan Larkin's name is out there again, and the Red Wings just found out how far it can travel.

Ansar Khan of MLive reported Friday that Detroit had talks with the Stars about Larkin, and asked for young center Wyatt Johnston as part of the return.

According to a league source, there was no chance of that happening.

Ansar Khan: Re Dylan Larkin: The Red Wings had talks with the Stars and according to a league source asked for young center Wyatt Johnston in return. It doesn't hurt to ask, but there was no chance of that happening.

Larkin, 29, is having a strong season by his own bar. He has 67 points in 74 games, with 34 goals, 9 game-winners, and 5 goals in his last 10 outings.

He carries an $8,700,000 cap hit, the kind of number that makes any trade a puzzle, not a phone call.

Detroit sits at 41-31-10, 16th overall, and comes into this stretch on a three-game slide with a 2-6-2 mark over its last 10.

That's the backdrop for why Steve Yzerman's front office is reportedly shopping big names. Losing feels different when it drags on this long.

Johnston is 23, signed at an $8,400,000 cap hit, and just posted 86 points on 45 goals and 41 assists. He's not a piece the Stars move for a rental fix.

Why Wyatt Johnston was never on the table for Dallas

Asking Dallas for Wyatt Johnston in a Larkin swap is like walking into a dealership with a used sedan and pointing at the Ferrari. You can ask. Nobody's laughing with you.

Jim Nill's Stars are 50-20-12, third overall in the league, and they're rolling with a five-game win streak and a 7-2-1 mark over their last 10.

Detroit and Dallas split their season series, with Detroit winning in overtime back on December 23 and Dallas answering in overtime on March 14.

Glen Gulutzan has a group built around players like Johnston for years to come, not months. Why would Nill blink on that?

Yzerman clearly wants to shake something loose in Detroit. But if this is the kind of return the Red Wings are floating, the market for Larkin might be smaller than anyone in the front office wants to admit.

Where this goes next, with training camp still months away and Larkin's future still an open question, is anyone's guess.