Frank Seravalli, via NHL Rumour Report, says the Bruins are among the teams that want a crack at Dylan Larkin, but Boston isn't on his preferred list.
This is a rumor, and it should be read that way. Nothing is confirmed, and Boston is only hoping to get a seat at the table.
Seravalli's reporting, as relayed by NHL Rumour Report, names Buffalo, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago as teams that would like to be part of this, to say nothing of Montreal. None of them have been on the preferred list.
There's a second piece. NHL Watcher relays that Dreger, on Early Trading, said the Bruins and Habs are still hoping to get on Larkin's list, but that Larkin has not modified it as of yet.
Read those together and the picture is simple. Boston wants in. The decision belongs to the player, and so far he hasn't moved.
Larkin is a 30-year-old center out of Waterford, Michigan, drafted 15th overall by the Red Wings in 2014. He has 6 points in 10 games this season.
Why a contender would be looking
Look at where the Bruins sit and the interest makes sense. Marco Sturm's team is 11-4-1 with 23 points, third in the NHL and first in the Atlantic, with a +20 goal differential.
They also beat the Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout Monday night, their second straight win. That's a team with no obvious reason to panic, which makes any move a push rather than a rescue.
We noted last week that the Bruins poking around Simon Edvinsson more than Larkin. Edvinsson is listed on IR with a contract dispute, out indefinitely, and he has not played this season. That is a very different situation from Larkin's.
The Atlantic is crowded too. Montreal is 9-3-2 and has won five straight, and the Habs play the Jets tonight. If Larkin ever opens his list, Boston will have company in the Atlantic.
For now, Don Sweeney's group is waiting on a player's say. The Bruins play at Pittsburgh on Thursday, and whether Larkin's list changes is the thing to watch.
