Blackhawks Likely Aren’t A Destination For Dylan Larkin

The NHL world got dropped a big bomb when insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the only team he has ever known, spending the last 11 years there.

Considering he is a big-name player, it adds another intriguing layer to the offseason.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a significant summer ahead of them to improve their team. They need established talent. Furthermore, they have the assets and the second-most salary cap space for 2026-27 ($40.16 million) to pull things off.

So, could Larkin to the Blackhawks have legs?

Could Larkin Choose The Blackhawks?

Friedman addressed Larkin and Chicago on his “32 Thoughts” podcast on June 5,

“I’ll say this. Larkin has a no-trade clause this year and next, so he has control. If you’re a rebuilding team, like a San Jose or Chicago, I would be curious to see if he really wanted to do that. Like San Jose, it’s got to be so tempting to look at (Macklin) Celebrini and say, ‘Wow, I’d love to play with that guy for a few years.’ But, they’re still far away, right? Or farther away. Is he really going to want to leave a team that’s been on the precipice of the playoffs for the last couple of years and haven’t made it in, for teams that are a little bit farther away?

…San Jose is the one team I kind of wonder about would they look at differently? But teams like Chicago, like even a team like New Jersey, which has been in the playoffs and won, does he think they’re close enough to winning?”

Larkin is an interesting name to ponder for Chicago. He has been a top center in the NHL for a while, so it’s a no-brainer for them to inquire.

However, it seems to come with hurdles. If his priority is to win, which Friedman seems to be implying, that could be a roadblock, since the Blackhawks are not just a Larkin away from a Stanley Cup.

But say the Blackhawks and Red Wings reach an agreement, and Larkin was willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to the Blackhawks. That would be something. His 82-game average is 65 points, with a 52.8 faceoff percentage. Those two stats immediately elevate them. Chicago’s faceoff percentage was second-worst in the NHL (46%). Larkin’s 67 points would’ve been second-best on the team behind Connor Bedard.

At 29-years-old, he has five years remaining on an eight-year deal ($8.7 million AAV), so he would come with term. With the rising cap, his AAV shouldn’t be an issue, but, as with anything, it is still something to be mindful of.

This move doesn’t seem as cut-and-dry as other potential targets like Matthew Knies or Jason Robertson, since a trade is in Larkin’s hands. But it doesn’t hurt to explore things, and it looks like general manager Kyle Davidson is.

Do Larkin and the Blackhawks Make Sense?

Scott Powers of The Athletic and Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times heard from Davidson at the scouting combine.

Powers wrote, “Considering how young the Blackhawks’ roster is, Davidson said he’d ideally acquire a player who would fit his core’s timeline and could play alongside those players for many years. But he also isn’t closing the door on any possibilities.” (from ‘Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson says he’s motivated to make a major offseason move’ – The Athletic – 06/05/2026)