Ty Anderson just reported that Bruins centers James Hagens and Fraser Minten are not available in trade talks.
The Larkin buzz is growing around Boston this afternoon, and the question is what the Bruins would actually pay if they chase a star center. Two names are already off the table.
Anderson noted that, dating back to last year, teams have asked about both players in various talks and the Bruins have said no.
That matters because the Bruins are 11-4-1 and sit first in the Atlantic Division, and they just beat the Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout Monday night. Marco Sturm has a team that is winning, and Don Sweeney isn't in a hurry to move the young pieces behind it.
Both centers are playing real roles. Hagens, the seventh overall pick in 2025, scored against Vegas and logged 17:27. Minten played 19:46 in the same game.
The pair would be the obvious ask from any team that deals Dylan Larkin. Detroit's captain is 30 and has 6 points in 10 games this season, so a rebuilding price tag would be steep.
Why Larkin talk keeps circling Boston
Frank Seravalli said, according to NHL Rumour Report, that Buffalo, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago would like a crack at Larkin, to say nothing of Montreal. He added that none of them have been on the preferred list.
Darren Dreger reported that Red Wings assistant GM Kris Draper was in Boston for the Bruins and Golden Knights game. Dreger said the Bruins would like to get on Larkin's list, and that the list remains status quo.
Our earlier piece covered the Bruins wanting a crack at Larkin. The new wrinkle is what Boston refuses to put on the table.
Hagens has 6 goals and 12 points in 16 games with a +7 rating. Minten has 5 goals, 10 points and a +9, including 2 game-winning goals.
Those numbers explain the stance. Giving up either one for a 30-year-old on a long contract would be a bad trade for a first-place team, and Boston looks like it knows it.
Larkin's list remains the real obstacle, and none of this is a done deal. The Bruins next play Thursday at Pittsburgh, and the rumor mill will keep running in the meantime.
