Report: Panthers Make Trade Offer For Dylan Larkin
Elliotte Friedman reported on The FAN Hockey Show this week that the Florida Panthers have made a concrete offer to the Detroit Red Wings for their captain, making Florida the first team confirmed to have submitted a formal proposal since Larkin's trade request became public.
Details of what the Panthers put on the table were not disclosed by Friedman.
Larkin's three preferred destinations are the Panthers, the Minnesota Wild, and the Vegas Golden Knights.
Florida is the only team among that trio holding a top-ten pick in this month's draft, which is what potentially makes their offer structurally unique.
The Ninth Overall Pick Changes Everything
The Panthers own the ninth overall selection at the June 26-27 draft in Buffalo, and are expected to try to package that pick with additional assets to make their offer compelling enough for Yzerman to engage seriously.
Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco laid out a proposed framework: Anton Lundell, the ninth overall pick, and a 2026 second-round pick going to Detroit, with goaltender Sebastian Cossa included as a sweetener addressing Florida's crease need following Sergei Bobrovsky's uncertain contract status.
Dylan Larkin Trade Rumors:
— Minnesota Sports Insider (@CoachBGonzo) June 8, 2026
He wants to go to MIN, VGK, or Florida.
Vegas:
Problem with VGK is their Cap issues and Hertl would be the Piece you move out but Hertl is a Lesser Player than Larkin and he Turns 33 soon while making 8M for multiple more years.
And VGK needs to… pic.twitter.com/gSWYiCGeUx
Lundell registered 18 goals and 44 points in 64 games this past season, playing up the lineup when injuries struck Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett.
He is a 2020 first-round pick who would immediately give Detroit a capable young center to build around as they continue their rebuild.
The Cossa element makes sense in both directions.
Yzerman drafted Cossa 15th overall in 2021 and knows exactly what he is getting, and Florida replacing Bobrovsky with a developing goaltending prospect rather than a market acquisition gives the organization a lower-cost crease answer with term.
Why Larkin Wants Florida
Larkin turns 30 on Opening Night and has not been to the playoffs since his rookie season a decade ago.
He has watched the Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 and watched his Red Wings miss the playoffs for the tenth consecutive year.
David Pagnotta: Re Red Wings: Moving Dylan Larkin, it sounds like it's more of a futures based package, at least right now; is this is a star for star type of swap, it doesn't sound like it - The Sheet (6/11)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 14, 2026
Florida is a proven championship environment under Paul Maurice, plays in a no-income-tax state, and carries a ton of organizational credibility that contenders offer when they come calling.
Florida's acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk ahead of the 2022-23 season transformed them from a good team into a dynasty, and the organizational model of trading for a high-end center to complement Barkov rather than developing one internally is clearly the approach Bill Zito is comfortable repeating.
What Yzerman Needs in Return
Per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Yzerman is unlikely to accept a package without a young NHL player, a first-round pick, and additional assets.
The Lundell-plus-ninth-pick framework theoretically checks both boxes, but the valuation gap between what the Panthers are willing to give and what Detroit believes Larkin is worth is the variable that will determine whether this deal gets done before the draft or drags into the summer.
Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
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