The Anaheim Ducks are approaching a decision that could reshape their organization for years. They can match the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, or they can let their young franchise centre leave and accept four first-round draft picks as compensation. Anaheim has until July 10 to decide.
Should the Ducks decline to match, Dylan Larkin could immediately become one of the most logical replacement targets on the trade market.
That does not mean Anaheim and the Detroit Red Wings are actively negotiating. However, the combination of Anaheim’s potential need at centre, Larkin’s trade request and the Ducks’ incoming draft capital creates a path that cannot be ignored.
My read on the situation is straightforward: Larkin is a credible contingency plan for Anaheim, but the biggest hurdle is not the trade return or his contract. It is convincing him to approve the destination.
Why Dylan Larkin Makes Sense for the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim’s centre situation has already changed dramatically. The Ducks traded Mason McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for two first-round selections during the 2026 NHL Draft. Losing Carlsson as well would remove the two centres who had been expected to anchor Anaheim’s long-term lineup.
Larkin would provide an immediate answer.
The Detroit Red Wings captain recorded 34 goals and 33 assists for 67 points in 74 games during the 2025-26 season. He carries an $8.7 million cap hit through 2030-31, giving Anaheim five remaining seasons of cost certainty at less than half the annual value of Carlsson’s offer sheet.
Dylan Larkin Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 808 | 276 | 367 | 643 | -100 |
| Playoffs | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 |
Larkin would not be a like-for-like replacement for Carlsson. Carlsson is younger and could still develop into one of the league’s dominant centres for the next decade. Larkin turns 30 in July, so acquiring him would represent a shift from long-term development toward trying to win immediately.
That shift could still make sense. Anaheim reached the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Larkin’s speed, transition ability and two-way experience would give the Ducks a legitimate top-line centre for their current competitive window.
Anaheim’s Salary-Cap Squeeze
PuckPedia currently projects the Ducks to have $9,973,395 in cap space with 21 of 23 active roster positions filled. That projection leaves Anaheim with a difficult negotiation involving restricted free-agent winger Cutter Gauthier.
Gauthier led the Ducks with 41 goals and finished with 69 points in 76 games last season. He is an RFA without arbitration rights and is not eligible to sign an offer sheet.
Here is my independent cap-pressure calculation. These are hypothetical contract scenarios, not reported demands from Gauthier or his representatives:
- A Gauthier cap hit of $8 million would leave Anaheim with approximately $1.97 million for its final two roster positions.
- A cap hit of $8.5 million would leave approximately $1.47 million.
- A cap hit of $9 million would leave only approximately $973,000.
The takeaway is that Anaheim could technically retain both Carlsson and Gauthier, but matching the offer sheet would likely require another roster move to establish meaningful flexibility.
Declining to match Carlsson would eliminate the $18 million commitment and give Anaheim four future first-round picks. The Ducks could then use part of that asset windfall to pursue a more affordable established centre such as Larkin.
What Would a Dylan Larkin Trade Cost the Anaheim Ducks?
Sportsnet previously proposed an Anaheim trade package featuring McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov and two second-round picks. That hypothetical is no longer workable because McTavish has been traded and Mintyukov has signed a five-year extension with Anaheim.
A revised offer would probably need to include one of the first-round picks Anaheim receives from Philadelphia, a premium prospect or young NHL player and potentially an additional conditional selection.
Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has stated that he made no guarantee Larkin’s request would be fulfilled. Yzerman also emphasized that Larkin has five seasons remaining on his contract and that any decision must serve the best interests of the Detroit Red Wings.
My five-factor trade-value model gives Larkin a 7.35 out of 10:
- Recent production: 8.5
- Positional value: 9.0
- Contract value: 8.0
- Age and remaining term: 6.5
- Trade flexibility: 3.5
The lower trade-flexibility score reflects Larkin’s full no-trade protection. The Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights were reported as the three teams on his initial preferred list. Anaheim would therefore need Larkin to expand that list before a deal could become realistic.
That is the decisive obstacle.
Anaheim can offer Detroit draft capital. It can absorb Larkin’s contract. It can present a young roster that appears ready to compete. But the Ducks cannot complete a trade unless Larkin believes Anaheim gives him the winning opportunity he is seeking.
Is Dylan Larkin to Anaheim a Realistic Rumor?
The connection is plausible, but it remains speculative.
Larkin has requested a trade, Anaheim was identified as a logical destination before the Carlsson offer sheet, and the Ducks could soon have both a significant need at centre and four additional first-round picks. Those circumstances make the possibility more credible than a random offseason trade proposal.
However, there has been no confirmation that Verbeek and Yzerman are discussing Larkin or that the player is willing to waive his no-trade clause for Anaheim.
My expectation is that the Ducks will first make their final Carlsson decision. If they decline to match, their centre search should become one of the NHL’s biggest offseason stories. Larkin would deserve a place near the top of their list, but Anaheim may have to offer both a compelling trade package and a convincing vision of how quickly it can contend.
The Ducks would be exchanging Carlsson’s long-term upside for Larkin’s proven production, a significantly lower cap hit and four first-round picks. It would be a bold and risky change in direction, but it is a scenario that makes enough hockey and financial sense to watch closely.
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