News of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request has dominated the ongoing NHL news cycle. And pretty much every fanbase in the NHL is trying to figure out how their team could be the one to land the coveted top-line center.
Well, the Ottawa Senators fanbase is no exception. The Sens faithful would love nothing more than to see Larkin suit up in the Canadian capital, helping the Senators get over the proverbial playoff hump.
Before moving on, I will make a point. Any potential trade discussions between the Senators and Red Wings involving Brady Tkachuk going the other way should be a non-starter. Adding Larkin at the expense of Tkachuk doesn’t make sense.
If anything, the ideal scenario would be to have Larkin on the same line with Tkachuk. That would turn the Senators from a playoff team into a serious Stanley Cup contender.
That said, what would a trade between the Senators and Red Wings look like?
Let’s start with some ground rules. The Red Wings would likely want to get a first-round pick, a top prospect, and a third piece. This return is assuming that Larkin is willing to waive his no-trade clause, and the return the Red Wings get is from the best possible scenario.
There’s also an assumption that the Senators would take on Larkin’s full cap hit. That situation would drastically reduce the overall asking price for the Red Wings.
That situation could see the Senators give up the following for Dylan Larkin:
- 2027 first-round pick
- Jordan Spence, D
- Drake Batherson, F
Also, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear the Red Wings ask for Carter Yakemchuk, Dylan Cozens, or even Jake Sanderson. All of those pieces would be off the board.
Spence makes sense as he’s a solid top-four blueliner and only 25. He’s an RFA this summer, but that’s something that the Red Wings could work out on their own.
Then, there’s Batherson. He’s entering the final year of his current contract. The deal comes with a $4.9975 million cap hit. While the Red Wings would ideally get a center back, they won’t necessarily complain about getting Batherson.
For Ottawa, it makes sense to offer up Batherson. They might not be able to re-sign him. That’s why trading him now wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The Sens could see Arthur Kaliyev as a potential replacement for Batherson next season.
The Senators would have to otherwise find a replacement winger for Batherson. But having Larkin onboard automatically makes the team that much stronger.
One last thing. Larkin comes with an $8.7 million cap hit. That’s something the Sens can easily swing, especially with nearly $17 million in cap space this summer. Plus, clearing nearly $5 million from Batherson’s contract helps ease the burden on the cap.
All told, the Senators have as good a chance as any team to land Dylan Larkin. The only issue would be getting Larkin to waive his no-trade clause to go to Ottawa. Considering how much Larkin would like to have a shot at the playoffs, Ottawa would be one of the best destinations he could choose at this point in his career.
