Dylan Larkin Finally Gives Steve Yzerman Something to Work With

Dylan Larkin finally realized that giving Steve Yzerman a three-team trade list is like asking a brick wall for a favor.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Detroit Red Wings captain has expanded his list of approved trade destinations to about eight teams. The new group of suitors reportedly includes heavyweights like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals.

"Elliotte Friedman reported the expansion of the list to include Colorado, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Washington."

Originally, Larkin handed Detroit a wish list of the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. That is a great itinerary for a bachelor party, but a terrible menu for a general manager trying to rebuild a franchise. None of those three teams had the prospect capital to make a deal work, so Yzerman essentially told his star center to try again.

You cannot blame Larkin for wanting out of town. He has spent 11 seasons in Detroit and endured a 10-year playoff drought, which is currently the longest active streak of misery in the NHL. He is still a premier first-line center who has potted at least 30 goals in five straight seasons, and the Red Wings are a bleak 19-31-7 without him in the lineup since he entered the league.

Adding Colorado, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Washington completely shifts the Stanley Cup futures market. These are established contenders who actually have the pieces to make a hockey trade, rather than just offering a bag of late-round picks and a guy who might be good in 2029.

Now that the list has enough realistic partners to spark an actual bidding war, the clock is ticking. Expect Yzerman to start squeezing these new suitors immediately, with a blockbuster deal looking more like a matter of when rather than if.