I don’t want to see Larkin gone. This post ain’t here to be bashing in the bloke. But what he wants just isn’t a thing.
Yzerman is 100% right on this one. My bet also is that no other team would pay him the 9+ because his points ain’t there
Just my opinion
nem704
Larkin is not worth 9 million period. I don’t care if he’s the captain, or a Michigan boy, or something about the cap going up in a few years, do not overpay players.
TwoBallsagna
Time to go. Most meh captain of my lifetime production wise. So much talent, but never realized it all. Trade him to the sharks for Meier and a pick.
Potatodrgn11
Looked it up, looks like he places #63 with 43 pts. Not as bad as it looks, #53 place has 45 pts for example. 9mil is still a lot, Horvat for example #21 & asking I think 8ish mil
thebrose69
I really love all these comparisons to mcDavid and everyone else as if they haven’t had good teams around them. I don’t think mcdavid is putting up 150 points if he plays on the same teams larkin has played on. Sure, Larkin probably isn’t a #1 center in a lot of other places, but he may also be past his prime anyway once we’re in cup contention
CeJW
I agree, at least to some extent. I will say although he may not shoot to the top 10, he would definitely have more points with a better team around him.
Now, yeah we have some youngins, so I think we all don’t expect that part to be excellent.
Again, I don’t see him in the top 10 even with a better team around him, BUT I do think his team really respects him as captain.
I’m don’t have a lot of hockey knowledge, so if I sound like an idiot I apologize.
whiskeytango1294
8×8.25
WingedWheelGermany
An other question is, which All-Star or better Center we can sign in the FA to upgrade for Larkin? Who of them is willing to sign to play in a rebuilding team?
epochplastic
Yzerman had to resign kucherov and Stamkos. He knows larkins value. Giving larkin 9 or 10 mil feels like a Holland deal.
thomolithic
No chance. 7.5×6 and we’re talking but not a penny more.
I don’t know what he is worth. It’s nice to dream of a better center and a better team I suppose but those don’t happen without being a first class organization. Both management and player will do the right thing.
Crystal-Ammunition
so whats the alternative if we let walkin Larkin/trade him?
Begin another rebuild?
notori0ussn0w
I think the way I would want to see this handled is to tell Larkin that we will give him a 2 year 7 million deal with the caveat that Yzerman gets him better line mates. Then part of the contract says we will sign him to a 9 million for 6 or 7 years IF he makes this list ^^^
CD23tol
Would you rather:
Overpay Larkin by 1M/yr then the cap goes by the 3rd year of his deal and it’s not too bad
Or
Add 3-4 years to the rebuild because we now have 0 top 6 NHL centers and 0 lottery luck
uncledeathbomb
Respectfully, these situations are almost always framed as “the player wants x” when, in most situations, the agent is entrusted with determining negotiating standards. It’s their sole job to get the player (and thus, themselves) as much money as possible. Larkin just plays hockey and gets paid whatever someone’s willing to pay him for that.
I am also seeking 9 million a year but will ultimately settle for way, way, way less than that.
tspoon-99
The challenge is that some other GM could easily talk himself into biting at this level.
If you look at Carolina, as an example: they’re right in contention, and they have two expensive old-veteran forwards rolling into UFA (Staal and Max P). With all the leadership, speed, heart, consistency and at least 2C production Larkin brings, you could easily see them justifying it.
So I think we shouldn’t be overly cavalier with this view that the market won’t be there for him.
I am a guy who thinks he is NOT our championship level 1C, for the record. I don’t love the idea of us paying him $9mm. But I won’t be surprised if he finds it somewhere.
LunarGhoul
Damn a lot of people in here are crazy! No way in hell would a top 10 scorer be taking $9mil.
Anyone on this list is worth at least $11mil+. Larkin may not be worth 9 based on his points, but it’s at least 8.5. Combine that with the fact that he is solid defensively and is by far the best offensive player on the team, and you can get to $9mil pretty easily.
Funkshow
Nobody knows what Larkin is really asking for. It’s all rumors.
scotiadk
He’s a sub-$8mil a year center. Period. Yzerman knows this, and I suspect he does as well.
jfstompers
So forget that top scorers nonsense Larkin side just points to Barzal getting 9.1 and Yzerman points to Hertl getting 8.1 and the real number he’s going to get is somewhere in the middle there. If he comes in at 8.50 it’s a good signing. Horvat just got moved for a player, a pick, a good prospect if you move him that’s the expected return so decide which you’d want more. Larkin at 8.5ish or say Ty Dellandrea, Maverick Bourque and a late first from Dallas as an example.
theotherpachman
I don’t love this comparison. All of these guys signed ages ago, or on ELCs, or after their breakout year. Circumstance matters.
Couturier and Hertl were in similar circumstances to Larkin when they signed. They hang around him in the stat charts, and are top line centers on struggling teams making around $8m. To justify $9m I think Larks needs to be measurably better than either of those players. It’s on him and his agent to make that case.
22 Comments
I don’t want to see Larkin gone. This post ain’t here to be bashing in the bloke. But what he wants just isn’t a thing.
Yzerman is 100% right on this one. My bet also is that no other team would pay him the 9+ because his points ain’t there
Just my opinion
Larkin is not worth 9 million period. I don’t care if he’s the captain, or a Michigan boy, or something about the cap going up in a few years, do not overpay players.
Time to go. Most meh captain of my lifetime production wise. So much talent, but never realized it all. Trade him to the sharks for Meier and a pick.
Looked it up, looks like he places #63 with 43 pts. Not as bad as it looks, #53 place has 45 pts for example. 9mil is still a lot, Horvat for example #21 & asking I think 8ish mil
I really love all these comparisons to mcDavid and everyone else as if they haven’t had good teams around them. I don’t think mcdavid is putting up 150 points if he plays on the same teams larkin has played on. Sure, Larkin probably isn’t a #1 center in a lot of other places, but he may also be past his prime anyway once we’re in cup contention
I agree, at least to some extent. I will say although he may not shoot to the top 10, he would definitely have more points with a better team around him.
Now, yeah we have some youngins, so I think we all don’t expect that part to be excellent.
Again, I don’t see him in the top 10 even with a better team around him, BUT I do think his team really respects him as captain.
I’m don’t have a lot of hockey knowledge, so if I sound like an idiot I apologize.
8×8.25
An other question is, which All-Star or better Center we can sign in the FA to upgrade for Larkin?
Who of them is willing to sign to play in a rebuilding team?
Yzerman had to resign kucherov and Stamkos. He knows larkins value. Giving larkin 9 or 10 mil feels like a Holland deal.
No chance. 7.5×6 and we’re talking but not a penny more.
And that’s still high considering his production.
https://preview.redd.it/wi7fi8llkefa1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=8f8d5aac070466343d81e6c8a3e164d8a5d70cc3
It is though
I don’t know what he is worth. It’s nice to dream of a better center and a better team I suppose but those don’t happen without being a first class organization. Both management and player will do the right thing.
so whats the alternative if we let walkin Larkin/trade him?
Begin another rebuild?
I think the way I would want to see this handled is to tell Larkin that we will give him a 2 year 7 million deal with the caveat that Yzerman gets him better line mates. Then part of the contract says we will sign him to a 9 million for 6 or 7 years IF he makes this list ^^^
Would you rather:
Overpay Larkin by 1M/yr then the cap goes by the 3rd year of his deal and it’s not too bad
Or
Add 3-4 years to the rebuild because we now have 0 top 6 NHL centers and 0 lottery luck
Respectfully, these situations are almost always framed as “the player wants x” when, in most situations, the agent is entrusted with determining negotiating standards. It’s their sole job to get the player (and thus, themselves) as much money as possible. Larkin just plays hockey and gets paid whatever someone’s willing to pay him for that.
I am also seeking 9 million a year but will ultimately settle for way, way, way less than that.
The challenge is that some other GM could easily talk himself into biting at this level.
If you look at Carolina, as an example: they’re right in contention, and they have two expensive old-veteran forwards rolling into UFA (Staal and Max P). With all the leadership, speed, heart, consistency and at least 2C production Larkin brings, you could easily see them justifying it.
So I think we shouldn’t be overly cavalier with this view that the market won’t be there for him.
I am a guy who thinks he is NOT our championship level 1C, for the record. I don’t love the idea of us paying him $9mm. But I won’t be surprised if he finds it somewhere.
Damn a lot of people in here are crazy! No way in hell would a top 10 scorer be taking $9mil.
Anyone on this list is worth at least $11mil+. Larkin may not be worth 9 based on his points, but it’s at least 8.5. Combine that with the fact that he is solid defensively and is by far the best offensive player on the team, and you can get to $9mil pretty easily.
Nobody knows what Larkin is really asking for. It’s all rumors.
He’s a sub-$8mil a year center. Period. Yzerman knows this, and I suspect he does as well.
So forget that top scorers nonsense Larkin side just points to Barzal getting 9.1 and Yzerman points to Hertl getting 8.1 and the real number he’s going to get is somewhere in the middle there. If he comes in at 8.50 it’s a good signing. Horvat just got moved for a player, a pick, a good prospect if you move him that’s the expected return so decide which you’d want more. Larkin at 8.5ish or say Ty Dellandrea, Maverick Bourque and a late first from Dallas as an example.
I don’t love this comparison. All of these guys signed ages ago, or on ELCs, or after their breakout year. Circumstance matters.
Couturier and Hertl were in similar circumstances to Larkin when they signed. They hang around him in the stat charts, and are top line centers on struggling teams making around $8m. To justify $9m I think Larks needs to be measurably better than either of those players. It’s on him and his agent to make that case.