David Pagnotta reveals a new twist in Minnesota's pursuit of Dylan Larkin

David Pagnotta says the Red Wings believe they can top Minnesota's offer for Dylan Larkin, according to NHL Rumour Report this afternoon.

The Larkin market has been moving all day, and this is the first real sign of how Detroit is handling the bidding. The Red Wings have an offer from the Wild in hand and are shopping around for something better.

Pagnotta wrote in his Off The Roster column on Monday that Detroit is looking to see if it can beat the Minnesota package. He added that the Wings think a better offer, or one more to their liking, could come from a team that isn't on Larkin's list.

-

The details of the Wild's offer were not part of the post, so what Minnesota actually put on the table stays unknown for now. The post also doesn't name any of the clubs Detroit may be eyeing outside the list.

That adds a new layer to what Chris Johnston reported on Larkin's trade market earlier today, when he said four or five of the 10 teams on the list are truly trying to get him. Now Detroit appears to be looking past that group too.

Minnesota has the résumé of a team that can keep paying. The Wild are 10-3-3, first in the Central Division, with a +16 goal differential that ranks among the best marks in the sheet. John Hynes has a contender, and Bill Guerin is clearly willing to spend on it.

Detroit's own position is far less comfortable. The Red Wings are 7-5-3, 17th in the NHL and eighth in the Atlantic Division, with a goal differential of exactly 0.

What Detroit risks by waiting on Larkin

Passing on a real offer from a first-place team to chase a better one from clubs Larkin hasn't listed is a gamble. It could pay off, but it can just as easily drag this out while the field gets thinner. Detroit would own that risk.

Larkin has 6 points in 10 games this season, with 2 goals and 4 assists. He is a 30-year-old center the Wings drafted 15th overall in 2014.

The contract matters here too, because it runs through 2030-31. Any team that lands him gets a long commitment, which is part of why Detroit seems to want a package it likes rather than the first one that arrives.

There is also the matter of who has dropped out. Pierre LeBrun's report on the Panthers said Florida isn't really in on Larkin and hasn't been at any point as far as he can tell. That shrinks the pool of serious bidders, which makes the Minnesota offer look even more significant.

Detroit won 5-3 at Florida on Monday night and visits Tampa Bay tonight. Minnesota is at Philadelphia, and the Larkin file is still open for both clubs.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Bruins sacrifice two key players to land Dylan Larkin in bold trade proposal