Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit. That much is clear. But with five years left on his deal, he doesn’t have a ton of leverage. The Red Wings captain gave the front office a short list of teams he’d accept a trade to. The Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights were on it. None of those teams has made a serious move yet. That has left Larkin in limbo, stuck in a situation where he wants to leave but can’t force his way anywhere just yet.
Meanwhile in Columbus, something interesting happened. The Blue Jackets nearly shipped Zach Werenski out of town. A deal with Dallas was reportedly agreed upon, but Werenski used his no-movement clause to block it. Both sides eventually announced they were done seeking a trade. Werenski stays, and Columbus suddenly has a Norris Trophy winner on the roster who clearly wants to win there. That changes the math a little.
These two players have more in common than just being Americans who played in the Milan Olympics. They’re both from Michigan. They both played at the University of Michigan. They both spent years stuck on bad teams with brutal winters and no clear path to a Cup. And now they both find themselves in a weird spot — one who almost left, one who wants to leave but can’t.
The Blue Jackets were never on Larkin’s original list. But the Werenski situation shifts things. If Columbus’ front office comes to Larkin and says, “Look, Werenski is staying, we’re spending to the cap, and we want to win now,” does he reconsider? That’s the question nobody was asking a month ago but everyone might be asking this summer.
What a Larkin trade would cost Columbus
If the Blue Jackets actually go after Larkin, they’re going all in. That means certain guys can’t be moved in the deal — Werenski, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, Jet Greaves, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov. Detroit would absolutely ask for one of them, but Columbus can’t trade away its core pieces and expect to compete.
The Blue Jackets would likely have to part with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. That’s a lot, but if you’re trying to win a Cup, you do it. The centerpiece of the trade on the NHL level would probably be Kent Johnson, a 23-year-old forward who could slide into Detroit’s lineup immediately. Maybe that’s not enough for Steve Yzerman, though. The Red Wings GM has time on his side and could wait for a better offer from a true contender. If Columbus really wants to push it through, they might have to include Cayden Lindstrom, a former fourth overall pick. That’s a massive price, but it would get the deal done.
The whole thing boils down to one question: How badly does new Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell want to make a splash? If he wants to turn this team into a contender fast, Larkin makes sense. The Blue Jackets lack a legitimate top center. Larkin is that. Pair him with Werenski and Marchenko, and you’ve got one of the best trios in the Eastern Conference in a weak division.
Nobody thought Columbus when Larkin made his request. But with a standoff in Detroit and Werenski committed to stay, maybe it’s time for the Blue Jackets to say why not us. Waddell could crack open the trade market this summer and change the entire look of this franchise.
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