Dylan Larkin’s name set off the rumor mill again Wednesday, but the Detroit Red Wings center wasn’t skipping practice for trade-related reasons. Helene St. James reported that Larkin was simply taking a maintenance day, even as talk around his future continues to linger.
That chatter has not gone away. Elliotte Friedman reported that Larkin and defenseman Simon Edvinsson are both hoping to be moved, with Edvinsson still unsigned to an extension.
Friedman also said Larkin has expanded his trade list to 10 teams. Beyond that, he believes Detroit is leaning harder toward making a deal instead of waiting for a massive return.
Darren Dreger added another wrinkle, saying the number of teams interested in Larkin that are not on his list is likely bigger than the group he’d actually accept. He also said the Red Wings’ pro scouts are still checking out clubs that could become real possibilities, including the St. Louis Blues and the Montreal Canadiens.
Out in Edmonton, the Oilers have put Zach Hyman on injured reserve after he was hurt Monday against the Red Wings. Head coach Mike Babcock addressed Hyman’s situation before taking questions after Wednesday’s morning skate.
Hyman left the game after absorbing a hit along the boards from Andreas Englund. His head appeared to hit the glass, and concern followed immediately that he might have suffered a concussion. He went down slowly, held his visor and needed help getting off the ice before being ruled out for the rest of the night.
The Oilers have called the injury a “stiff neck”, and his move to injured reserve may be tied as much to opening room for Jason Dickinson as it is to anything more serious with Hyman.
In Pittsburgh, the Penguins may be heading toward a major shake-up after a sluggish start. TSN’s Darren Dreger said Kyle Dubas is taking calls on several veterans, including Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.
New ownership reportedly wants the club to get younger, and Dubas also has to operate under a tight cash budget in addition to the salary cap. Karlsson stands out as the biggest name in the group. The 36-year-old defenseman has been Pittsburgh’s most productive player, but he is on an expiring contract with a $10 million cap hit.
Karlsson also has a no-movement clause, so he controls where this goes. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos believes a trade could still happen.
Rust and Rakell may be more realistic names to move. Rust is expected to miss several weeks with a lower-body injury, while Rakell carries an eight-team no-trade list and has reportedly been available since the summer.
Letang is also drawing attention, but moving him would be far more complicated. The 39-year-old defenseman has a $6.1 million cap hit through next season and a full no-movement clause, giving him major control over any possible deal.
In Other News...
Red Wings Have One Contract Standing In The Way Of A Larkin Trade
The Red Wings are staring at two separate but connected business items with very different timelines. Dylan Larkin has already asked for a trade, which naturally has the rumor mill humming, but the bigger immediate issue in Detroit is getting Simon Edvinssons next deal done. The young defenseman is still a restricted free agent, and the organization knows his contract will shape both its cap picture and its roster flexibility as it sorts through the rest of the season.
Edvinssons situation carries the more urgent deadline, which is why it sits ahead of any serious conversation about Larkins future. Detroit can trade Larkin whenever it chooses, but moving a captain-level center is not something the front office will rush into while another core piece remains unresolved. For now, the priority is locking in the young blue-liner and getting that part of the ledger settled before anything else gets seriously revisited. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Fans Just Got More Clarity On That Zach Hyman Injury
The aftermath of Edmontons game against the Red Wings is starting to come into focus, and it appears Zach Hymans injury may not be as alarming as it first looked. Hyman was placed on injured reserve with a stiff neck after leaving that game, but coach Mike Babcock suggested the issue could be less serious than the immediate reaction suggested, giving everyone a little more clarity on what happened.
For Detroit fans, the main wrinkle is the sequence that followed the hit along the boards from Andreas Englund and the roster move it triggered. Jason Dickinson is expected to be activated from injured reserve to fill Hymans spot, keeping Edmonton moving while Hyman recovers and leaving the full timeline of his return still a little cloudy. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face Growing Pressure Around Simon Edvinssons Future
Simon Edvinssons contract status is quickly becoming one of the more important side stories around Detroit as the calendar turns toward the deadline for restricted free agents. The young defenseman has drawn interest from other teams, which is the kind of attention the Red Wings would rather not have lingering this late in the process, especially with the organization trying to keep a key part of its blue line in place for the long term.
The concern is not just about the player himself, but about how much leverage outside suitors can create if the market starts to tighten. Detroit knows what it has in Edvinsson, and the challenge now is getting the business side settled before the situation turns into a larger distraction, with the clock slowly working against the Red Wings as they try to avoid a more complicated endgame. [Read more 🡒]