from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

-This is purely my opinion and not anything I’ve heard, but, coming out of the enormous Detroit/Washington deal, does anyone ask Steve Yzerman about Dylan Larkin? One of the reasons Anthony Mantha and Jakub Vrana were traded was due to frustration with their play (and, especially in Vrana’s case, his own consternation at the way he was being used). But another key factor is that the Red Wings feel their rebuild will take longer than originally predicted.

I’d written earlier about Detroit making everyone available except Larkin, 2020 first-rounder Lucas Raymond and 2019 first-rounder Moritz Seider (and possibly co-leading scorer Filip Hronek). Mantha is signed for three more seasons, and may be out of his prime before they’re ready. Larkin is signed for two more. He’s their captain, and it’s not insignificant to consider the fan base’s reaction. If you were another team, though, and you liked him, the Mantha deal could give you reason to ask.

- One story about Vrana: the Washington Capitals woke up on June 5, 2018, with a 3–1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. There were two days off before Game 5, and all regulars were excused from practice. Vrana was the only one to skate. I asked him why. He said it was because he needed to practise scoring. He was 12 games without a goal at that time. Vrana then scored the first goal of the Cup-clinching Game 5. It’s always about that extra edge.

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