Kyle Dubas put out a call to a specific type of player in his season-ending media availability last month.
"We really lack those players in their later 20s that are really true difference makers, or mid-20s, late-20s, that are true difference makers," Dubas said. "If you're one of those players that's a free agent or your situation in your spot is not going well, and you have some control, you can look at us and see very clearly you're going to be supported by a great coaching staff that gets the most out of players. You also have young players that are going to push from behind, and older players that are going to set the tone. So I think Pittsburgh, for all that, as a city is a great place to play, great place to grow and have a family. But also, I think in terms of the sporting side, for us on the hockey side, think it should be one of, if not the most, appealing places to any player that has a choice in those matters."
Could Dylan Larkin fit that bill?
Sportsnet reported on Thursday that the Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit. Larkin, 29, has spent his entire career in Detroit but hasn't made the playoffs since his rookie 2015-16 season.
Larkin is signed through 2030-31 with an $8.7 million cap hit, and has a full no-trade clause through 2027-28, giving him a lot of control to pick his new team if he does get moved.
At 29, Larkin isn't "young," but from Dubas' comments, he isn't looking for too many more players in their early 20s. They have a wave of prospects coming up. They have a solid core in their mid- to late-30s. They don't really have many impact players in their late 20s to bridge that gap between the core and the next wave of kids.
Larkin, a center, could help fill a need, too. The Penguins liked Evgeni Malkin on the wing last season, and Dubas' comments after re-signing Malkin mentioned talk of "how his role will evolve" next season, which could potentially mean a lesser role over the course of the season. It's probably premature to pencil Ben Kindel in for full-time second-line center duty, and the Penguins would ideally do better than Tommy Novak as second-line center.
The Penguins will need to go out and make moves to replace Anthony Mantha's 33 goals this summer, and they aren't going to be doing that on the free agent market. Larkin's 34 goals, 33 assists in 74 games on a mediocre Detroit team fills that void and then some.
There would be some intangible benefits for Larkin opting for Pittsburgh, too. He grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and Pittsburgh would be one of the teams closer to home for him. He's previously said that his favorite player growing up was Crosby. Dan Muse actually coached Larkin's cousin Adam at Yale.
It'll be a steep price for whichever team lands Larkin, but the Penguins have been accumulating assets and have ample cap space. If he is what they're looking for, they have the means to get it done.
THE ASYLUM
Could Larkin be a fit?
Kyle Dubas put out a call to a specific type of player in his season-ending media availability last month.
"We really lack those players in their later 20s that are really true difference makers, or mid-20s, late-20s, that are true difference makers," Dubas said. "If you're one of those players that's a free agent or your situation in your spot is not going well, and you have some control, you can look at us and see very clearly you're going to be supported by a great coaching staff that gets the most out of players. You also have young players that are going to push from behind, and older players that are going to set the tone. So I think Pittsburgh, for all that, as a city is a great place to play, great place to grow and have a family. But also, I think in terms of the sporting side, for us on the hockey side, think it should be one of, if not the most, appealing places to any player that has a choice in those matters."
Could Dylan Larkin fit that bill?
Sportsnet reported on Thursday that the Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit. Larkin, 29, has spent his entire career in Detroit but hasn't made the playoffs since his rookie 2015-16 season.
Larkin is signed through 2030-31 with an $8.7 million cap hit, and has a full no-trade clause through 2027-28, giving him a lot of control to pick his new team if he does get moved.
At 29, Larkin isn't "young," but from Dubas' comments, he isn't looking for too many more players in their early 20s. They have a wave of prospects coming up. They have a solid core in their mid- to late-30s. They don't really have many impact players in their late 20s to bridge that gap between the core and the next wave of kids.
Larkin, a center, could help fill a need, too. The Penguins liked Evgeni Malkin on the wing last season, and Dubas' comments after re-signing Malkin mentioned talk of "how his role will evolve" next season, which could potentially mean a lesser role over the course of the season. It's probably premature to pencil Ben Kindel in for full-time second-line center duty, and the Penguins would ideally do better than Tommy Novak as second-line center.
The Penguins will need to go out and make moves to replace Anthony Mantha's 33 goals this summer, and they aren't going to be doing that on the free agent market. Larkin's 34 goals, 33 assists in 74 games on a mediocre Detroit team fills that void and then some.
There would be some intangible benefits for Larkin opting for Pittsburgh, too. He grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and Pittsburgh would be one of the teams closer to home for him. He's previously said that his favorite player growing up was Crosby. Dan Muse actually coached Larkin's cousin Adam at Yale.
It'll be a steep price for whichever team lands Larkin, but the Penguins have been accumulating assets and have ample cap space. If he is what they're looking for, they have the means to get it done.
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