The Dylan Larkin chase has narrowed fast, and at this point Minnesota looks like the only team still hanging around.
That’s the latest wrinkle in a messy Detroit offseason that already has plenty of moving parts. The Red Wings still need a new head of hockey operations after Steve Yzerman stepped aside, and they’re also staring down the biggest question of all: what happens with captain Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade in June.
When that request surfaced, it was reported that Larkin would only accept a move to four teams - the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars. But according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the field has changed. On The Sheet with Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski, Russo said the Wild still want Larkin, while the Golden Knights and Panthers no longer do.
“The Wild, to this point, hasn't gotten that No. 1 center,” said Russo. “They still are really holding out hope for Larkin.
Obviously, Quinn [Hughes] has a lot of inside information here because he skates with Larkin on a daily basis in Ann Arbor. So you know he knows that Dylan's preference would be to come to Minnesota or Vegas or Florida.
But Vegas and Florida right now don't have interest in him. But the Wild still do.”
That lines up with what Minnesota said after its season ended. General manager Bill Guerin made it clear one of the team’s offseason priorities was landing a No. 1 center, and Larkin fits that description. The Wild tried to get him while Yzerman was still handling hockey operations in Detroit, but nothing came together.
The other two teams that were once part of the conversation have moved on for different reasons. Vegas may not have the assets or cap space to make Larkin work. Florida, meanwhile, shifted gears and acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators.
Minnesota’s interest also makes sense because of the connections already in place. Larkin played for the United States team at this year’s Winter Olympics, which won gold, and Guerin served as Team USA’s general manager. He selected Larkin for that roster along with Wild players Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Hughes.
There’s also the reality of where Larkin has spent most of his NHL career. For much of that stretch, Detroit wasn’t even in the playoffs. Minnesota, by contrast, is trying to push into true contender territory, and that matters in a situation like this.
Still, the Wild are not sitting on a done deal.
Detroit’s next hockey boss will have plenty to sort through before anything is decided. Larkin could still push to be moved, but it will be up to the new general manager or president of hockey operations to determine whether he can be convinced to stay for this season or whether a trade is the right call. And if the Red Wings’ search really does drag into the start of the regular season, Minnesota may be waiting a while.
That wait is made harder by the fact that the Wild don’t have a treasure chest of obvious trade chips. They’ve already moved some of their top players, including Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and Zeev Buium. Charlie Stramel and Danila Yurov have come up in possible packages, but those names don’t exactly scream a return that would tempt a team to part with a star like Larkin.
There’s another layer here, too: Minnesota is still talking with Hughes about a contract extension. Both sides have shown interest, and they recently met, but they are still not close to getting a deal done.
For now, the Wild are still in the hunt, and they believe Larkin could be the piece that helps them reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. But until Detroit settles its leadership situation and Larkin’s future gets clarity, Minnesota is left waiting right alongside everyone else.
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