- Elliotte Friedman floated a Dylan Larkin-for-Nikita Kucherov swap on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast
- He stressed the idea came from a source and that no talks between Detroit and Tampa Bay are known
- Read below for why Kucherov could like the Red Wings’ power play
Two trade requests, one possible answer. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman floated a Dylan Larkin-for-Nikita Kucherov swap between the Red Wings and Lightning on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.
Friedman made clear it wasn’t his idea and that nothing is close. He said someone told him “the other day” that, from a pure hockey point of view, they could see a Larkin-for-Kucherov deal. There’s no word the two teams have even talked.
The theory leans on how Kucherov will pick a destination. Friedman said Kucherov will care about fit, and he pointed at Detroit’s power play as a draw. Lucas Raymond could take the one-timers on one side, and Moritz Seider could shoot from the point the way Darren Raddysh did in Tampa.
Friedman also passed along a ballpark number for the next Kucherov contract. It’s six years at $20 million per season, which would be a big jump from the $9.5 million he makes now. Catch Friedman on Kucherov’s situation from earlier in the weekend:
The structure is neat on paper. Larkin has the Lightning on his reported trade list, so that side wouldn’t be a hurdle. Detroit would still have to land Kucherov’s signature on a new deal, since he’s told the Lightning he won’t re-sign.
Money is the sticking point in Tampa. Kevin Weekes reported the Lightning’s first offer was around $13 million and went to $15 million only after the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Cale Makar’s deal reset the market. See Weekes’ post:
We’ve followed Kucherov since he told Tampa he wanted out, including Friedman’s take that the request won’t be easy to reverse and the Weekes report on the first offer.
Larkin is the other half. He’s sitting out until he’s traded, and Kris Draper has been scouting the Capitals as Detroit looks at other options.
A one-for-one would fix two problems at once. It would also take a lot to go right, starting with Kucherov wanting Detroit at all.
