The Buffalo Sabres could find themselves with an amazing trade opportunity. That’s not hyperbole. That’s the situation that could unfold following news that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade.
Yes, that’s right. Insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Thursday that the longtime Red Wing had asked the organization to trade him this offseason.
The news has hit the NHL with the force of a nuclear blast. Most importantly, every team’s fanbase is now doing the math to see if it can afford to bring in the 29-year-old into their club.
The Sabres, nevertheless, have a unique opportunity to make that happen. Buffalo is one of the few teams that has the cap space, pieces, and draft picks to make such a deal happen.
For instance, the Sabres can package their first-round pick this year, a roster player like Zach Benson, and even a prospect like Radim Mrtka to make this trade happen.
That price tag might seem high. But let’s consider that elite two-way centers still heading into their prime years are hard to come by. And the chance to land someone like Dylan Larkin may not come around for a long time.
But there’s another, more powerful reason why Larkin could end up in Buffalo.
Sabres are a rising contender that Larkin could lead
Unlike the Red Wings, the Sabres are a rising, contending team. Buffalo proved this season that it can hang with the big boys. While the club fell short in the second round against the Montreal Canadiens, there’s no reason to doubt the Sabres are for real.
And that’s the sort of club that Larkin would love to join. He could get in on the ground floor of what could be a competitive team for the next decade.
Larkin could well become that missing piece on a championship club. He could be that complementary player who just turns the entire organization into one massive Stanley Cup contender.
In fact, Larkin could be that one final player to push the Sabres over the top. That’s the situation that could convince Larkin to waive his no-trade clause. That’s the thing. The 2026 gold-medal winner has a full no-trade clause in his contract for the next two seasons.
The Red Wings, as such, will have to find a trade partner and a team that Larkin would be willing to waive his clause to go to. You would think that a Stanley Cup contender would be high on his list. But with teams like Dallas, Colorado, Florida, and Vegas all up against the cap, Buffalo could be that option.
Never say never. Even if it seems unlikely that Dylan Larkin would choose Buffalo over other destinations, there’s always the chance that the Sabres might just be the team he chooses.
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