After a summer's worth of waiting, the Detroit Red Wings finally announced that
 they had agreed to a new contract with franchise center Dylan Larkin. There
will be no Andreas Athanasiou situation this year.

UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today re-signed center Dylan Larkin to a
five-year contract. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/MgmOCykUf2

- Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) August 10, 2018

Larkin's new deal lasts for five years and has an average annual value (AAV) of
 $6.1 million, making the Waterford-native the highest-paid player on the team.
 In addition, the contract comes with a no-trade clause in its final year and
pays out more during non-potential-lockout seasons.

More details on Dylan Larkin contract. Breakdown by year:

18-19: $1 million signing bonus. $5.75 million base
19-20: $7 million base
20-21: $4.75 million
21-22: $6.75 million
22-23: $5.25 million (no-trade clause)

- Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) August 10, 2018

The two sides appear to be very happy with the outcome, even if the
negotiations did take some time. Larkin shared as much with Detroit's editor
Dana Wakiji:

...I';m very proud to be from Waterford and be a local boy playing for the Red
Wings and five more years, I think it';s awesome, it';s a great
feeling.Agreeable Contract for Larkin & Red Wings

First and foremost, Larkin's cap hit is palatable for the cash-strapped Red
Wings. They'll need to make some adjustments to get under the salary cap upper
limit, but certainly won't have to jump through hoops to do so. Placing Johan
Franzen on long-term injured reserve will cover most of the new
expense.Related: Red Wings' Salary Cap Mess & How Larkin Fits

Overall, this deal fits Detroit's cap structure well. It only occupies 7.7
percent of the $79.5 million salary cap and, if the upper limit continues to
move up, then that percentage will dwindle over time - pretty good for the Red
Wings' best player.

From an organizational standpoint, this also sets the tone for future
contracts. Players like Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Filip Zadina, and
others will need new deals at some point and Larkin's contract will be a good
barometer for those Red Wings' new AAVs. Does this player deserve to be paid
more than Larkin from a performance standpoint? Should he be offered more term
than Larkin was?Dylan Larkin (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Finally, the AAV fits Larkin's performance to this point. The Red Wings aren't
paying for potential, qualitative traits, or any other factor that could be
cited to warrant the value of a contract. Simply put, It's a fair deal
all-around that matches up well with the likes of Filip Forsberg, Bo Horvat,
and Jonathan Drouin.Added Risk?

One drawback of Larkin's new pact is the term. At its conclusion, he's set to
become an unrestricted free agent (UFA), with only one year of unrestricted
free agency bought out by the contract.

Typically, we've seen players like Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist sign bridge
contracts, then ink long-term deals the summer before unrestricted free agency
becomes an option. A three-year contract would have accomplished this for
Larkin. Instead, the Red Wings run the risk of losing their top center as a UFA
 during the summer of 2023.

Perhaps the relationship between Larkin and the Red Wings is so good at the
moment, that it's a given that he re-signs toward the end of this contract. The
 public-side of the negotiations seemed to paint such a picture. But until that
 next contract is signed, it's still a risk to consider.Dylan Larkin (Kim
Klement-USA TODAY Sports)Final Word

Make no mistake - this is now Larkin's team. The contract, his role, and his
standing within the organization indicate that. The captaincy will soon be his
as well. Given Ken Holland's comments on Henrik Zetterberg, it's seems unlikely
 that Detroit's present captain will return:

I have talked to his agent a number of times over the course of the summer and
I know he';s had a tough summer, hasn';t been able to train anywhere near close
 to what he';s been able to train in past summers due to his back, so there';s
a real unknown right now with Henrik Zetterberg.

The timing of Holland's uninspiring remarks on Zetterberg's health seem to set
expectations for training camp. It's an old public relations move - if
something negative is going to happen, foreshadow it early on and cloak it with
 good news.

It will be a tough pill to swallow if Zetterberg cannot return. However, the
Red Wings do have a legitimate successor in Larkin who can lead this team out
of the rebuild and back into contention.What do you think of Larkin';s new Red
Wings contract? Comment below with your thoughts.

The post Red Wings & Larkin Win With New Contract appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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