New team and details suddenly emerge on the Dylan Larkin trade front

Marco D'Amico confirmed Friday that Tampa Bay, Dallas and Utah now join the original list of Minnesota, Florida and Vegas as teams either expressing strong interest or emerging as places Larkin would consider.

Dallas is the name worth examining most closely. The Stars have Jason Robertson set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer, seeking a deal reportedly worth up to $12 million per year.

Dallas is projected to carry roughly $14.9 million in cap space for 2026-27. Signing Robertson near that number would consume almost all of it, leaving almost nothing to maneuver with.

Adding Larkin at $8.7 million on top of that is arithmetically impossible without trading away significant salary first.

That cap math alone should make fans skeptical Dallas is a genuine destination rather than a name being floated for leverage.

So why are they in the conversation? Either the Stars are quietly preparing to move Robertson - in which case Larkin becomes a cap-equivalent replacement - or their presence is purely tactical, designed to push up the asking price for Minnesota, Florida and Vegas.

Neither scenario makes Dallas a clean landing spot. And Steve Yzerman, who has reportedly asked Pat Brisson to widen Larkin's acceptable list, would already know exactly what each team can realistically deliver.

Utah is the more credible new entrant. The Mammoth carry one of the deepest prospect pools in the league, which matches the asset profile Detroit is believed to be seeking.

Tampa's involvement adds another contender-level threat to the bidding, though the Lightning's cap position carries its own constraints.

The growing field benefits Yzerman - the question is who can actually close.