​How a potential three-team trade involving Dylan Larkin, Jason Robertson, and the Penguins, Red Wings, and Stars could unfold began as a piece for The Sporting News. The article notes that The Sporting News is a preferred source, with a link to mark it as such. From various reports surrounding Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin’s trade request and the potential movement of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, a few conclusions emerge.
First, Larkin has reportedly added the Stars to his list of preferred destinations, meaning he would approve a deal that would send him to Dallas. Conversely, Robertson’s salary poses a real challenge for the Stars’ payroll, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have shown interest in him. This creates a scenario in which Larkin could land in Dallas while Robertson could end up in Pittsburgh.
What about Detroit? A three-team trade becomes plausible if all sides can align on a complete structure. “With Dylan Larkin adding Dallas to his trade list, and reports that Detroit wouldn’t want Jason Robertson, I think a 3-team trade with Dallas, Pittsburgh and Detroit could be a very real possibility now,” hockey analyst Matt Meagher wrote on X on Thursday. “This might be the #LetsGoPens best chance of actually getting J-Rob. It could also be individual transactions, where Dallas gets assets from us in a J-Rob trade, to then flip those assets to Detroit for Larkin, in a different trade. There has been smoke from national media around a possible 3-team trade with DAL, DET and PIT as recently as yesterday.”
The headline around Dylan Larkin’s trade list causing friction has stayed persistent. These teams don’t appear to be aligned for a straightforward two-team exchange. Reports suggest the Stars don’t want to part with a player like Wyatt Johnston to land Larkin from Detroit. Meanwhile, the Penguins and Stars have been in contact for some time without Robertson moving, implying they haven’t yet found a cost structure that fits both sides. Sometimes, a three-team arrangement is the catalyst to free up the requisite matching and negotiations.
A remaining question is whether Pittsburgh possesses enough assets to broker a deal of this magnitude—perhaps something bold like a promising young player could facilitate the exchange. The likely outcome hinges on whether Pittsburgh can present a package or create a chain of transactions that would satisfy Detroit’s and Dallas’s criteria, as well as Robertson’s and Larkin’s trade preferences.
Despite the uncertainties, there are several perspectives in which this could make sense for all sides. If a three-team configuration can align the teams’ needs, the trade market could be primed for a dramatic reshuffle involving Larkin in Dallas, Robertson in Pittsburgh, and Denver… er, Detroit… in the mix through various asset swaps. The debate continues, with pundits weighing whether a three-team route offers the best path to maximize value and satisfy the players’ trade lists.