With reports Thursday afternoon that longtime Detroit Red Wings center (and captain) Dylan Larkin is requesting a trade out of town, the Philadelphia Flyers might have found their top-line center essentially falling into general manager’s Danny Briere’s lap. But is it too good to be true? Are there some major red flags that come with a Dylan Larkin trade to the Flyers?
Of course, a few things would have to happen in order for Larkin to end up wearing the Flyers sweater for the next five seasons. He has a full no-trade clause for the next two seasons before it’s modified to a 10-team list of he’d be okay with being traded to. So first, he have to green light a move to Philadelphia. If that hurdle is surpassed, the obvious much bigger hurdle would be what it might take in order for Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman to part with his most consistent offensive performer the last handful of seasons. Would Owen Tippett and Noah Cates be part of the package? Or would one of those forwards and a prospect like Jett Luchanko or Alex Bump (and possible picks) be enough to seal the deal?
Of course nobody will know how it will play out in Philadelphia until there’s an announcement. Going by Briere’s history as the Flyers’ general manager, secrecy is paramount. One only has to look at the trade of Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim for Jamie Drysdale to know that the organization isn’t one for loose lips or leaking any information, particularly when it comes to trade discussions. And that’s to be commended.
However, with a lot of teams in the mix for a top-line center, and some of those teams perhaps a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to Stanley Cup contention than Philadelphia, landing Larkin might prove to be difficult. As Briere has always said, the deal would have to make sense. So a huge overpay or cleaning the cupboards bare of picks or prospects wouldn’t be smart. But if Larkin agreed to look at Philadelphia as an option, and both Yzerman and Briere have a trade in place that works for both sides, would landing Dylan Larkin be the wisest decision for the team moving forward?
It’s hard to argue with the numbers, as Larkin has six 30-plus goal seasons in his career, and did it for the fifth consecutive year in 2025-26 with 34 tallies. And he’s close to averaging a point a game production in those same five seasons. In terms of the financial hit, an $8.7-million AAV would be well under what the going rate seems to be for top-end centers seeking a new contract. But having said all that, there still might be a few reasons to not quite jump the gun when it comes to Larkin and his suitability for the Flyers. We’ll take a look at some of them.
Larkin’s age has to play a major factor
Depending on when the trade would take place, the Flyers would acquire Larkin either weeks prior to turning 30 or days after hitting that milestone. Not that 30 is over the hill by any stretch. But it’s not like Larkin is the age of, say, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas, who will turn 27 a day after free agent frenzy begins. Whether he can still be productive the next five seasons as he was the previous five doesn’t seem like a sure bet. Generally, unless you’re a generational talent like a Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid, you’re most likely going to see your production decline the longer in the tooth you get. It might not be drastic, but generally there’s a downturn. Perhaps Larkin could end up like his team’s general manager in Yzerman, and deliver solid seasons long into his thirties with a great supporting cast around him.
Then again, Larkin, like another two-way player he’s often compared to in Jonathan Toews, could see his career take a downturn like the Chicago captain. Toews’ point total at age 30 for 2018-19 was Larkin-esque, with 81 points in 82 games. A great year. The following season? He ended up with 60 points in 70 games while not playing at all in 2020-21. So while Larkin has no trace of the injury bug, and played no fewer than 68 games in any 82-game season in his career, there’s always the chance that Larkin could get hurt. Whether that’s worth dealing away a key piece of talent the Flyers have now, or might have down the road, could be worth thinking long and hard about before acquiring Larkin. One only has to look much closer to home to realize Sean Couturier’s season at age 30 didn’t happen at all as he underwent surgery. And since recovering has never recaptured his Selke-era production, instead now hopefully being a force as the team’s fourth-line center.
Playoff experience? Hot down the stretch?
Granted, the Flyers never balked at the lack of playoff experience when Trevor Zegras was available and eventually ended up in Philadelphia. But, again, Zegras was only 24 going on 25, and with the club still retaining his rights. But this recent playoff run the Flyers found themselves in created one pretty amazing fact: defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who played 820 regular season games before his first playoff contest, has 10 playoff games to his credit, which is twice as many games as Dylan Larkin has. Larkin has gone 728 regular season games since his last (and only) playoff series. Should the Flyers make the playoffs in 2026-27, and Larkin is part of the team’s success playing all 82 games, that span will be 810 games, not too far from Ristolainen’s.
Of course, the center wasn’t the sole reason Detroit has been out of the playoffs repeatedly since 2015-16. But with next to no playoff experience, is a 30-year-old center (and captain) who has never gotten over that hump when it mattered most late in the season a key piece to Philadelphia’s future fortunes?
As well, it seems that Larkin can be hot and cold at times, with some months being great, and other being a bit dry. That’s often par for the course with any NHL forwards, particularly offensively-gifted ones. However, Larkin’s point production in the last six weeks of the season, for the most part, hasn’t been great throughout his career. In 2025-26, he ended up with 13 points in March and April, although he missed a chunk of that time due to injury.
Prior to that, dating back to 2016-17, Larkin’s point totals have been as follows from March 1 onward dating back each season from 2024-25 back to 2016-17: 17, 15, 22, 14, 12, 16*, 12, 16, and 13 (*2019-20 was shortened by the pandemic, so February and March were used instead). While teams tighten up defensively at this point of the year, Larkin hasn’t really been hot down the homestretch outside of 2022-23 where he had 10 goals and 22 points. Also, since 2016-17, Larkin’s has been a plus in only four out of a possible 20 months in terms of plus/minus over that same time span from 2016-17 to this past season.
Would Larkin be a fit not just on paper?
Larkin has some power play prowess, is a center on Detroit’s top line, and has been quite productive over his career. You couldn’t find a player who probably checks more boxes in terms of what the Flyers are screaming for when it comes to a top-line center to solidify the middle. However, the game isn’t played on paper. There are a lot of intangibles that go into whether a player can fit not just on the ice but also in the locker room. That’s not to say Dylan Larkin has ever been a problem on Detroit or is considered the type of guy that irks his teammates.
Bringing a guy like Larkin in would obviously change the dynamic in the Flyers rather ridiculously tight locker room. The forward would be welcomed with open arms, but for a guy who has played his entire career with one team, could Larkin adjust to the new linemates, team, head coach, city, and everything else that comes with it right off the bat? Possibly.
What Larkin would have to adjust to is not being in the spotlight as much as he might have been being the captain in Detroit. It’s doubtful Couturier would be relinquishing his “C” for Larkin. But beyond those rather trivial matters to some, the newcomer would have to mesh with the rest of the team. And be open to a new system under Rick Tocchet that adheres to a tight-checking, defensive-minded blueprint at its core.
Both Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones have spent too much time and effort cultivating what has been the “culture” of one of the tightest locker rooms in the NHL for a talented forward to possibly upset the apple cart on his arrival. That dynamic can’t be measured by analytics, but it can be measured in that few if anyone gave Philadelphia a chance to make the playoffs let alone win a round back in February. The closeness and tightness of the team, and their belief in each other, was integral to that turnaround. That chemistry or synergy is something Larkin would have to blend into rather smoothly.
Danny’s due diligence
In the end, Dylan Larkin might not even consider Philadelphia on his short list of teams he might want to be traded to. Perhaps the speculation was just that and he ends his career in Motown. Or Vegas. Or Montreal. Or Minnesota. Time will tell. What should be evident for now is that for every positive that Larkin might bring to Philadelphia, there could be some possible drawbacks that might give Briere and the front office pause for thought. A trade for Larkin could be a home run. But it’s incumbent on Briere and company to ensure they do their homework before pulling the trigger on such a huge transaction. As much as Larkin looks like the sensible addition to many, it has to make sense for the Flyers first.
Stats courtesy of Hockeydb.com, ESPN.com, and Capwages.com.
