Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has named the Vegas Golden Knights among his three preferred trade destinations, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.
Larkin requested a trade last week by submitting a list that also includes the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers to the Red Wings. The Detroit Free Press first reported the news earlier Monday.
Larkin holds a full no-trade clause in his contract. He has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $69.6 million deal that carries an $8.7 million annual salary cap hit.
The 29-year-old’s trade demand comes after his 11th season in Detroit, and his 10th straight without a playoff appearance. The Red Wings’ decade-long postseason drought is now the longest active in the NHL, following the Buffalo Sabres’ playoff qualification this season after 15 years.
Detroit faltered down the stretch, becoming the second team in NHL history to have 69 points through 53 games and still miss the playoffs.
A native of Waterford, Michigan, Larkin won a gold medal with Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.
General manager Steve Yzerman faces a challenge in working out a trade with any of the three teams, as each is projected to have $15.2 million or less in cap space for next season, according to spotrac.com. The Golden Knights rank 31st in the league with only $4.6 million available.
It is unclear whether Larkin would consider expanding his list.
Larkin has spent his entire career in Detroit. He played college hockey at Michigan and was selected by the Red Wings with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 draft. A six-time 30-goal scorer, he recorded 67 points this season, including a career-best 34 goals in 74 games.
