Pending UFA Larkin to meet with agent over All-Star weekend
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Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin's All-Star weekend will include a meeting with agent Pat Brisson to discuss his future as a pending unrestricted free agent.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports Larkin and Red Wings have been negotiating a contract for several months, but have yet to come to an agreement.
With the Red Wings sitting outside the playoff picture, Larkin could draw trade interest, though he holds the final decision on a deal with a full no-move clause in his contract.
"Pat Brisson, who is part of the team at Creative Arts Agency who represents Larkin, his plan is to meet with Larkin in the coming days during All-Star weekend in South Florida to cover all the options that are in front of him," LeBrun said Thursday on Insider Trading. "Let’s face it, this is a negotiation that has gone on for months between the Red Wings and Larkin where they don’t have an extension yet. My understanding is that there have been some movement from both sides and that dialogue will continue.
"But the reason Brisson wants to meet with Larkin is that there’s the trade deadline on March 3 and it may be that the Red Wings get trade offers for this player.
"Now a very important note here is that Larkin has a full no-movement clause, so he controls his destiny. But how will he react if there is a trade offer? That’s why this is an important meeting between the agent and the player."
The Red Wings have 12 pending unrestricted free agents on their roster, a list headlined Larkin and winger Tyler Bertuzzi.
Larkin, who carries a cap hit of $6.1 million, has 15 goals and 43 points in 47 games this season. Heading to his third career All-Star game, Larkin said prior to the team's break that he hoped to make a playoff push in Detroit this season.
"I hope that we can remain together and see it through and give it all we’ve got," Larkin said last Friday after a loss to the New York Islanders. "We haven’t been able to do that in many years, but that’s my hope, to see this thing through and to stay in it and make going to the rink meaningful every day going down the stretch."
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported last week that the Red Wings have offered Larkin an eight-year, $64 million contract, but argued the centre could be looking for a deal closer to the eight-year, $73.2 million contract Mathew Barzal signed with the New York Islanders in October.