What happened: Per Helene St. James, the Red Wings captain's updated list comprises the Panthers, Wild, Golden Knights, Stars, Capitals, Hurricanes, Mammoth, Lightning, Devils, and Avalanche. The move comes straight after Larkin left the Canadiens off his approved destinations while broadening his pool of suitors.

Why it matters: Widening the field to 10 clubs gives Detroit management leverage to spark competing offers across both conferences during the 2026-27 regular season. Discussions hit a wall in July when Minnesota declined to include a Team USA gold medalist, making the addition of Eastern Conference contenders like Carolina, Tampa Bay, and New Jersey critical for creating new package options.

What to watch: Monitor whether the newly cleared contenders submit formal proposals as Detroit weighs return packages for its top center.