Dylan Larkin’s situation in Detroit has gone from unsettled to stalled out.
The Red Wings captain is reportedly seeking a move, and the longer this lingers, the stranger it looks. Steve Yzerman is no longer in an active role, and Sean Hrkac, the man now filling in, apparently does not have the authority to complete trades. That leaves Detroit in a holding pattern with no clear path forward.
It is a bizarre place for a franchise to be. The team has business to handle, but instead of making decisions, it is stuck in neutral while a captain wants out and the front office cannot actually push anything through. Detroit is being described as a bubble team, but this is about more than the standings - it is about a club with real chaos brewing and no one fully empowered to deal with it.
One possible way out is to broaden the market. Larkin reportedly had a short list of just three teams he would accept in a trade, and opening that up to five would give the Red Wings more leverage and more options. Dallas is mentioned as a team that could enter the picture if that list expands.
There is also the possibility that Larkin stays put longer than expected while Detroit waits for the right offer. That would not be out of character for a front office that has already shown hesitation elsewhere.
The Red Wings reportedly wanted to bring back Anthony Mantha this summer, but never gave Hrkac the green light. Mantha then signed elsewhere, another example of a team moving without much urgency.
Minnesota keeps surfacing as the most natural landing spot for Larkin. Bill Guerin is reportedly interested, and the Wild have pieces they could use in a deal, with Ryan Hartman specifically named as someone who could be part of the return. Anaheim has also been mentioned, though it is hard to imagine Larkin wanting to end up there.
For Detroit, the hard part is obvious: this probably is not a trade they can “win.” If the Red Wings are asking for another first-line center back, why would another team give one up? The more realistic outcome is a lesser center plus extra assets to balance things out.
And the most unusual part of all is that the decision still does not seem to belong to anyone with full authority yet.
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The Wilds interest in Dylan Larkin has run into the kind of delay that can change a market fast: Detroits search for new leadership. Minnesota has had Larkin on its radar in trade conversations, but any meaningful movement has been slowed as the Red Wings sort through management changes and reset the direction of the franchise. For a team like the Wild, that means the timeline is less about when a deal gets done and more about who in Detroit ends up making the calls.
Andrew Thomas, a former member of the Wild front office, is reportedly among the candidates being considered for the Red Wings general manager job, and his presence adds another layer to the situation. His analytics background and past ties to Minnesota could shape how Detroit weighs Larkins trade request and what it asks in return, especially if the new regime wants a different kind of return than the one the Wild are hoping to offer. For now, the piece that matters most for Minnesota is still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Larkin Trade Rumors Just Hit A Huge Red Wings Roadblock
Dylan Larkins name has been linked to the Wild, and the idea alone is enough to get attention in Minnesota. The Detroit captain is reportedly open to a trade to the Wild, which would instantly change the conversation around a team always looking to add speed, leadership and proven offense down the middle.
The problem is that Detroits side of the equation has not moved forward, and the lack of a general manager has slowed any real momentum. In the meantime, TSN analysts Bryan Hayes and Frankie Corrado have pointed to Montreal as another possible fit because of the roster and salary structure, but Larkin has not yet agreed to waive his no-trade clause for the Canadiens, leaving any deal to hinge on both his approval and the assets involved. [Read more 🡒]