SEATTLE – Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets pointed out what the Detroit Red Wings have been unwilling to say as they deal with Dylan Larkin and try to find a fit in a trade with any of the teams on his list that has now been expanded to 10 teams.
Fantilli was asked on Tuesday, Oct. 20, about facing former teammate Kirill Marchenko, who got what he wanted just before the start of the season when the Blue Jackets acquiesced to his request for a trade. He's with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and naturally the topic came up as the teams prepared to meet for the first time this season.
"Happy we got guys who want to be here," Fantilli told media in Columbus. "It would have been a nightmare having a guy that didn’t want to be here all year. I’m
glad we got that trade done when we did."
It is an awkward situation for everyone: Larkin doesn't want to be a Wing any longer. The Wings can't afford to suspend him and have him not play, because he's their top center.
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Larkin asked for the trade shortly after last season ended, but for two months this summer – from July 15, the day Steve Yzerman was removed as general manager after a review by Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch, until Sept. 15, the day Shawn Horcoff was named interim GM – the team lacked someone with the authority to engineer such a monumental trade.
Teammates have publicly been supportive of Larkin, echoing Ben Chiarot's commentat the start of camp that, "I think every guy just tries to do what's right for himself and his family," Chiarot said. "Each individual guy has their own business that they've got to take care of."
Larkin reported to camp and after dealing with an upper-body injury, made his season debut on Oct. 6, producing a goal and an assist that helped the Wings win their first game of the season. But he hasn't changed his mind about wanting to go to a competitive team, though he has expanded his list (he has a no-trade clause) from its original three to 10.
A person with knowledge of the situation told the Free Press that Larkin’s list consists of the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche.
Those teams haven't offered the sort value-now player/players the Wings want in return, because what they need, essentially, is someone just like Larkin: A center who can serve on their top line. It may well end up needing to be a multi-team trade to make all parties content, as the Wings could flip a top prospect/several first-round selections, for a value-now center.
Horcoff made it clear where he stands, saying "a rebuild is out of the question." During an interview on Oct. 15, Ilitch backed Horcoff, saying, "I support him in all regards. He's got my full confidence."
Coach Todd McLellan and the players have not let this become a distraction as the team also deals with a contract stalemate with Simon Edvinsson, but Fantilli had a point: It's challenging to have a player in the locker room who doesn't want to be there.
Contact Helene St. James at Hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dylan Larkin has given Detroit Red Wings 10 teams as trade options
