Elliotte Friedman said this morning that Dylan Larkin considered changing his list of teams, and that he suspects the Bruins are among the clubs pushing to get in.
Friedman only suspects it. Nothing is confirmed, and this stays a rumor.
According to the post from NHL Rumour Report, Friedman had heard Larkin was thinking about changing his list, but ultimately didn't. He also said some teams are trying hard to get in there.
Friedman named Buffalo, Montreal and St. Louis, then added the line that matters here: "I suspect Boston."
That's the new part. We've been tracking this for three days, starting with the Bruins and Canadiens pushing for Larkin on Wednesday, and Thursday's chatter kept the Bruins in the mix.
But Larkin not changing his list is the catch for Boston. Whatever access the Bruins had before, nothing opened up. A team that wants in has to work with the list as it stands.
Friedman's wording also puts the Bruins in a different place than the other three. He is certain teams are pushing. Boston is a suspicion, not a fact.
Why the Bruins look like a fit anyway
Start with where Boston sits. The Bruins are 12-4-1, second in the NHL and first in the Atlantic, with a +24 goal differential.
They've won three straight, including a 6-2 win in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. That's a team with no obvious reason to go shopping.
The depth scoring is real, too. Pavel Zacha scored twice against the Penguins, and Morgan Geekie, John-Jason Peterka and Elias Lindholm have all piled up points through 17 games.
Larkin has 6 points in 10 games for Detroit this season, so a deal would be about adding a second-line center to a group that's already humming. That's a luxury move. I'd be wary of it.
We also reported the Bruins told teams James Hagens and Fraser Minten are off limits. That's background only, with no new claim attached. Both have been productive, and Hagens is listed as day-to-day with a back issue.
Larkin's list stays as it is, and the Bruins host the Panthers on Sunday. Friedman's suspicion stays just that until someone with a real source says otherwise.
