The chatter involving Dylan Larkin’s trade request has invariably reached Toronto Maple Leafs fans. A great deal of that chatter has centered on Toronto taking a shot at the 29-year-old center. While that’s a great idea, it’s worth looking at the flipside of the equation.
Specifically, it’s worth arguing why the Maple Leafs might be better off passing on Larkin. There are three points to this argument, particularly focusing on the Leafs’ long-term future.
Let’s dig in.
Maple Leafs Aren’t a Stanley Cup Contender Yet
So, the most evident point is the fact that the Maple Leafs just aren’t a Stanley Cup contender at this point. And that’s something that Dylan Larkin has made clear in his purported list of preferred destinations.
The fact that the still Detroit Red Wings captain chose Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida says to the rest of the NHL that he wants to go to a team that’s perceived to be close to winning a Cup.
In the Leafs’ case, well, that preference pretty much excludes the organization. Of course, that isn’t to say that Toronto won’t ever be a contender. But that’s just not the reality at the moment.
Dylan Larkin Would Come with High Acquisition Cost
Unless Larkin and his representation tried to twist Steve Yzerman’s arm into trading him to Toronto regardless of the return, the fact is that the Maple Leafs would have to pay an arm and a leg to make the deal happen.
The asking price would likely include first-round picks, which the Leafs don’t have, and high-end prospects, which Toronto doesn’t have, either.
That situation would mean further gutting whatever capital the organization has, while sending the only promising prospects left in players like Easton Cowan.
If that’s the case, what else could the Maple Leafs use to retool/rebuild the team? Unless there’s someone out there willing to pay through the nose for Brandon Carlo, Morgan Rielly, or Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the Leafs just can’t spare precious pieces on Dylan Larkin at this point.
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Toronto Would Have to Convince Larkin to Waive No-Trade Clause
Assuming the Leafs could scare up the pieces for a deal, and the Red Wings would be willing to move their captain to a division rival, the biggest hurdle that could remain would be Dylan Larkin’s no-trade clause.
That situation means that the Maple Leafs would have to find a way to convince the former first-round pick from the 2014 NHL Draft to pick Toronto over Vegas, Minnesota, and Florida.
That’s a hard sell. If anything, Larkin could be looking at a player like Mitch Marner and see just how beneficial it was for him to leave a high-pressure media market and kind of recede into the background for a while.
The three reported destinations for Larkin provide him with much more cover than Toronto. In the NHL’s biggest hockey market, Dylan Larkin would face much more pressure and scrutiny than just about anywhere else.
The same could be said about New York, Montreal, and Vancouver. So, why would he put himself in that sort of a spot when he can go to a market like Minnesota and get a hero’s welcome like Quinn Hughes did?
From that perspective alone, Toronto would be the hardest sell of all.
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