David Pagnotta just shed light on which teams are still in the mix for Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, and which ones are not.
The Detroit center has a 10-team trade list, and the Red Wings have reportedly pushed him to widen it. His camp hasn't moved, so the field matters more by the day.
Pagnotta addressed the non-list teams in the Morning Cuppa Hockey on Tuesday, November 3.
He pointed to Montreal, Buffalo, Boston and St. Louis as clubs outside Larkin's list, and said Los Angeles was a while ago.
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Then came the question that matters. Pagnotta wondered whether Detroit would get more out of one of those teams than it would out of Minnesota.
That framing puts the Wild at the center of this. Our earlier report on Pagnotta's take on Minnesota's pursuit of Larkin said the Red Wings believe they can top the Wild's offer.
Minnesota has a lot of reasons to be confident right now. The Wild are 11-3-3, third in the NHL and first in the Central Division, and they beat the Flyers 4-2 last night.
Why Boston and Buffalo could change the price
Boston is the other contender that jumps off the page. The Bruins are 11-4-1 and lead the Atlantic, and our report on the Bruins pursuing Dylan Larkin pointed to Darren Dreger.
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | DIFF | |
| 1. Boston Bruins | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 23 | +20 |
| 2. Montreal Canadiens | 15 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 21 | +5 |
| 3. Tampa Bay Lightning | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 20 | +7 |
| 4. Ottawa Senators | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 19 | +1 |
| 5. Florida Panthers | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 18 | +3 |
| 6. Toronto Maple Leafs | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 18 | +6 |
| 7. Buffalo Sabres | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 17 | -6 |
| 8. Detroit Red Wings | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 17 | -2 |
Buffalo is a different case. The Sabres are 7-4-3 and sit seventh in the Atlantic, but they've won three straight and play Ottawa tonight.
Los Angeles is the real oddity. The Kings are 4-7-2 and 30th in the NHL, so a push for a 30-year-old center on an $8.7 million deal would say plenty about how they see this season.
Larkin has 6 points in 10 games this season, so his numbers alone aren't forcing anyone's hand. The leverage sits in his trade list.
If Detroit wants more than Minnesota can offer, the Red Wings need Larkin to open the door to the teams outside it. So far, nothing suggests he's ready to.
Should Dylan Larkin expand his trade list to let the Red Wings get a better offer?
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