The Dylan Larkin situation in Detroit is still murky, but the latest reporting points to a front-office split over what a trade might actually have returned.
Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that Steve Yzerman warned Red Wings ownership that moving Larkin probably wouldn’t deliver an immediate boost. The return, according to that report, would have been more about future help than instant impact, and management apparently wasn’t on board with that direction.
Friedman stopped short of saying that disagreement directly led to Yzerman’s departure, but he did note that interim GM Shawn Horcoff now has a chance to make a case for the full-time job.
Larkin himself still isn’t opening up much. After speaking with the media on Thursday, he said he is not ready to “go there yet” when asked about the trade request, and he would not say whether that request has been taken back. For now, his status in Detroit remains unsettled.
In Winnipeg, Kevin Cheveldayoff pushed back hard on reports tying Connor Hellebuyck to a “gentlemen’s agreement.” The idea was that Hellebuyck had been promised a chance to chase a Stanley Cup and that the Jets would help work out a trade if that didn’t happen.
Cheveldayoff shut that down.
“A contract is a contract in the National Hockey League. Period,” he said, making clear there are no side deals and no loopholes. He added that the reports have no merit, though he did acknowledge the Jets have been trying to trade the goalie since Hellebuyck’s request.
The backdrop there isn’t pretty: Winnipeg missed the playoffs last season, and Hellebuyck put up the worst statistical season of his career.
Quinn Hughes, meanwhile, says there’s no drama with the Minnesota Wild as extension talks continue. As training camp opened, Hughes brushed off any suggestion of friction, saying it’s still September and that plenty of stars have signed later in the offseason.
He said he’s happy in Minnesota, loves the team and feels good with his teammates. Hughes also admitted the idea of eventually playing with brothers Jack and Luke Hughes has some appeal, but he made it clear he won’t walk away from a “great spot” in Minnesota just to make that happen.
The contract itself could become the real headline. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic reported that Minnesota has signaled a willingness to offer Hughes the maximum eight-year term at an annual value above Cale Makar’s NHL-record $20.4 million. If that happens, Hughes would become the highest-paid defenseman in the league.
And in Columbus, there are still some uncomfortable questions looming over the Blue Jackets. Zach Werenski has made it plain that there are no guarantees he’ll sign another extension with the team when his current deal runs out after the 2027-28 season.
Kirill Marchenko may be headed in the same direction. His agent told ESPN and NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes in June that the winger plans to move on when his current contract expires, which would make him a restricted free agent after this season.
In Other News...
Kirill Marchenko Just Gave Blue Jackets Fans More To Worry About
Kirill Marchenkos future in Columbus is suddenly looking like one of the more uncomfortable storylines surrounding the Blue Jackets. After questions about where things stand, the winger offered little certainty and kept his focus strictly on the ice, leaving fans to read between the lines at a time when every bit of roster news matters for a team trying to chart its next step.
The concern only grows because earlier reporting suggested Marchenkos camp was not expected to sign an extension with Columbus, and his demeanor did nothing to calm that chatter. When a key young player is this guarded about what comes next, it tends to fuel the kind of speculation the Blue Jackets would rather avoid until there is something more concrete to hold onto. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jackets Just Got A Front Office Opening Fans Will Debate
The Blue Jackets are heading into a familiar kind of front-office transition, with Mike Priest announcing that he will retire at the end of September 2026 after serving as team president and alternate governor since 2007. Priest has been one of the organizations longest-running executives, and his departure marks the end of an era for a franchise that has leaned on stability at the top through plenty of changes on the ice.
For now, John H. McConnell II will step in as team president in the immediate future, keeping the title inside the family that founded the franchise. Priest will remain in an advisory role through the end of 2026, so this is not an abrupt handoff, but it still opens a stretch where fans will watch closely for how much the organizations day-to-day direction shifts and who ultimately shapes the next phase. [Read more 🡒]
Marchenkos First Camp Comments Wont Ease Blue Jackets Tension
Kirill Marchenko faced reporters at Blue Jackets training camp with the clubs contract chatter already hanging over him, and he kept his answers pointed toward hockey. After reports surfaced that he is unwilling to sign an extension, Marchenko talked about getting ready for the season and steered every question about his future back to the teams front office, leaving the matter in the hands of Don Waddell and Dan Milstein.
Rick Bowness at least sounded unbothered by what he has seen on the ice, saying he sat down with Marchenko this week and came away with no complaints about his attitude or work ethic. Still, the cleanest public lines from camp have not settled the bigger issue, and until the contract conversation moves beyond deflection, the tension around one of Columbus key forwards is going to keep following the team. [Read more 🡒]