The Philadelphia Flyers have been linked to quite a few potential trade targets recently. After the team bolstered its center depth by adding Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak last offseason, they’re now focused on getting a pivot who can play atop the lineup, or at least has the potential to do so.
We’ve talked about Mason McTavish, Mat Barzal, and Matty Beniers over the last week or so, but those all went to the side on Thursday afternoon when it was reported that Dylan Larkin is requesting a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
Larkin immediately shot to the top of the trade targets for the Flyers, along with St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, who seems to be mentioned any time you bring up a center the Flyers should trade for.
Unfortunately, the Flyers got bad news on both Larkin and Thomas on Friday.
Dylan Larkin wants to go to an ‘established power’
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who broke the news that Larkin is requesting a trade, provided some more details on The FAN Hockey Show on Friday.
“Number one, I think Larkin’s not going to want to go to a team that’s far away, or a team that’s rebuilding, or a team that’s on the fringes. If he wanted that, he would just stay in Detroit,” Friedman said. “I think he wants to go to an established power, like a Minnesota, a Tampa, or a Dallas. I think those are three of the teams I’m hearing a lot.”
It’s not too shocking that a top player demanding a trade wants to be dealt to a team that has a chance to win a Stanley Cup in the coming years. And that’s what Larkin wants to do, too, apparently.
After winning the gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics and then seeing the Red Wings collapse down the stretch, Larkin wants to chase that feeling again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Flyers certainly aren’t an established power, but they showed this past season that they’re on the up and up. Larkin could join a few fellow Americans on the Flyers roster, most notably Trevor Zegras, who has become a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
Larkin can control where he gets traded to as he has a full no-movement clause in his contract. That doesn’t mean that the Red Wings have to give in. Detroit still holds some power here. If Steve Yzerman gets lowballed by those top teams and receives an offer from a team like the Flyers that he likes, and he presents it to Larkin, perhaps the captain would be willing to come to Philadelphia.
Robert Thomas not being traded this summer
Later on Friday evening, it came out that St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, who was one of the top centers in the rumor mill prior to Larkin’s demand, will not be getting moved this summer.
Robert Thomas trade rumors can be put to rest. The #stlblues are not looking to move their #1 center. Expect Thomas to be on the roster when training camp begins in September.
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 6, 2026
The Blues shopped Thomas at the trade deadline but didn’t get any offers that blew them away, so they elected to keep the 26-year-old center.
St. Louis then made a strong push in the final weeks of the season and missed the playoffs by just four points despite selling a few pieces at the deadline anyway.
Thomas would be a perfect fit for the Flyers, given his age and Philadelphia’s timeline, but the same can be said for the Blues. St. Louis doesn’t have a ton of wiggle room in terms of cap space, and the Blues have some up-and-coming young players already on the NHL roster.
Trading for Thomas was already not that likely for the Flyers, and now those dreams will have to wait until at least next season.
Perhaps the Flyers will now set their sights on someone younger like Beniers, who is flying under the radar as a potential trade target.
