Dylan Larkin’s trade situation may have picked up a little noise earlier this week, but the actual market for the Red Wings center is still moving at a crawl.
Multiple sources confirmed that Larkin’s trade list has grown by one team, yet a deal remains a long way off. The problem is simple enough: only one club on that list is said to truly need him, and Detroit has no interest in moving him cheaply just because he wants to land there.
That leaves the Red Wings in wait-and-see mode as training camp approaches. Todd McLellan is likely the busiest person in the organization right now, mapping out his forward lines while knowing the whole picture could change fast. He may be preparing for a completely different top-center setup, or for someone already in the room to step into that spot.
Across the league, the pace has slowed once again after some of the bigger dominoes, including Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet, were sorted out. There are still restricted free agents in arbitration or still talking with their teams, and Simon Edvinsson is among them. The big Swede is in line for a significant raise, and there have been rumblings that other teams are at least considering an offer sheet.
That possibility could drag things well into training camp, especially given Yzerman’s past approach with his draft picks.
In the meantime, the offseason continues to leave a lot of familiar names hanging out there. Former Red Wings still looking for contracts include Adam Erne, Petr Mrazek, Anthony Mantha, who had 30+ goals last year, Jeff Petry, Vladimir Tarasenko, Luke Glendening, Gustav Nyquist and Robby Fabbri.
And that’s only the group that didn’t appear in a game for Detroit last season. Most of the unrestricted free agents from the Red Wings’ most recent roster are still unsigned as well.
Kevin Allen also laid out Yzerman’s math on a possible Larkin trade and why draft picks won’t be enough. One of Detroit’s youngest players, meanwhile, has plans to return to Sweden someday.
In Other News...
Red Wings Fans Just Got Another Reason To Doubt Larkin Pick Packages
Bill Armstrongs explanation for why Utah matched the Barrett Hayton offer sheet landed well beyond Salt Lake City, because it put a familiar NHL debate back in the spotlight: how much trust should a general manager place in draft picks when a proven center is on the table? For Red Wings fans, it is the same tension that always follows Dylan Larkin chatter. Steve Yzerman has been careful about the kind of return he would even consider, and the broader message from around the league is clear enough. Picks are useful, but they are far from sure things, especially when the player in question is already established.
The numbers only sharpen that caution. Second-round selections from 2011 to 2020 have turned into regular NHL players only about 30 to 34 percent of the time, while even late first-rounders are hardly locks. That is why teams keep treating premium centers like assets you do not replace with a stack of futures unless the offer is loaded with real certainty. For Detroit, it is another reminder that any Larkin package would have to be built around proven help, not just the promise of what might develop years down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Face Growing Tension Around Simon Edvinsson's Future
Simon Edvinssons offseason has already become one of the more closely watched items on the Red Wings docket, even after a season that showed why Detroit wants him around. The young defenseman played 72 games and set career highs in goals and assists, giving the blue line the kind of two-way growth the organization has been building toward as it tries to keep its core intact.
Lucas Raymond, meanwhile, is moving into the third season of his eight-year extension and was recently seen alongside Edvinsson and Rasmus Dahlin at a Luke Combs concert, a reminder of how intertwined these young Swedish stars remain away from the rink. For Detroit, the bigger question is how quickly the Edvinsson situation settles, because every passing week keeps the focus on a player whose next step matters to the roster and to the teams long-term plans. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Offseason Is Stuck On One Massive Unresolved Situation
Dylan Larkins situation has become the kind of offseason hold-up that can shape everything else around it. The Red Wings captain remains at the center of a trade discussion with Steve Yzerman, and until there is clarity on where that goes, Detroits roster picture stays a little blurry. It is the sort of unresolved business that hangs over a teams summer, especially when the player involved is still under contract and the front office is trying to map out the next step without forcing the issue.
Yzerman does have time to work through it, with months still left to find a deal that makes sense for the organization. The wrinkle is that Detroit is not approaching this like a standard futures swap, which narrows the field and makes the negotiation more delicate. If nothing comes together, Larkin could still be on the roster when the season opens, a possibility that keeps this from being a clean break and leaves the Red Wings waiting on a decision that could define the direction of the whole offseason. [Read more 🡒]