The biggest name in the weekend rumor cycle is Dylan Larkin, and the Detroit Red Wings are still stuck in a tough spot. Helene St.
James reports that Detroit is asking for a legitimate first-line center in return, but that price has not exactly lit up the market among the teams on Larkin’s preferred trade list. St.
James also suggested the Red Wings may have to soften their stance if they want to get anything done.
For now, though, the whole situation is in limbo because Detroit still does not have a full-time GM in place. Shawn Horcoff is handling the job on an interim basis, but he does not have the authority to make trades.
That leaves Minnesota, Florida, Vegas, and Dallas waiting on the sidelines. It is still believed the Wild want to talk trade.
Colorado has a different kind of clock ticking. The Avalanche are trying to get Cale Makar locked up, and Elliotte Friedman says the sides are moving in a positive direction.
The sticking point is term. NHL rules allow eight-year extensions only until September 15, after which the max drops to seven years.
If the Avalanche want the longest possible deal under the current rules, they need to get it done before that date. Even so, a shorter extension could wind up being the more realistic route, with Makar possibly looking at four or five years and another shot at a bigger payday later.
In Minnesota, the Quinn Hughes situation is still hanging in the air. A deal that many expected to be finished by now has yet to come together, even though Friedman has continued to project a three-year contract at $18 million annually.
This week, he admitted the lack of movement is starting to draw attention. Wild GM Bill Guerin said talks are ongoing, telling reporters, “I’m not gonna get too far into it, but I have been talking to his camp all along.
These things take time, they are big decisions for players and teams, so it’s a process to work through it.” Friedman said he will not consider it a real concern unless it stretches into the regular season.
Edmonton, meanwhile, is taking the long view. Instead of pushing right up against the cap this summer, the Oilers are keeping room open for a move during the season.
GM Stan Bowman said the team wants to preserve that flexibility and use it when the right opportunity shows up. He pointed to the way cap restrictions have limited Edmonton in the past, especially when other teams were trying to unload contracts midseason.
This time, the Oilers want to be ready. Bowman said the space will be used eventually, but only when it makes sense, whether that ends up being through a trade or closer to the deadline.
In Other News...
Brock Faber Now Faces The Biggest Test Of His Wild Rise
Brock Fabers rise has become one of the more important storylines in Minnesota, especially after the Wilds move for Quinn Hughes seemed to unlock another layer in his game. The defensemans expected goals percentage climbed, his point production jumped, and the early returns suggested a player who was not just keeping up, but taking on a bigger role with more confidence. For a Wild blue line that has needed reliable minutes and steady growth from its younger core, Faber has quickly become someone the team can count on.
Now comes the harder part. After a breakout stretch, the challenge is no longer proving he belongs, but showing he can hold that level when opponents start keying on him and the league adjusts to what he does best. Consistency is the real test here, along with whether his impact can keep growing as teams build more specific plans to slow him down. For Minnesota, how Faber responds in this phase could say a lot about just how high his ceiling really is. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Knight Gives Blackhawks Fans A Real Reason To Believe
A new wave of goaltenders is starting to get attention around the NHL, and Minnesotas Jesper Wallstedt sits right in the middle of it. After spending time sharing the crease with Filip Gustavsson, Wallstedt was the Wild starter by the end of last season, and the step forward has put him on a path that looks a lot different now than it did a year ago.
The broader discussion is about which young netminders can push into the leagues top tier by the 2026-27 season, with Wallstedt mentioned alongside names like Jet Greaves and Spencer Knight. With some familiar Vezina contenders aging out and a recent run of Russian goalies shaping the award race, the opening for a new class of candidates feels real, even if the next breakthrough still has to be earned on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Face Early Pressure In Quinn Hughes Contract Talks
Quinn Hughes is in the final year of his current deal, and the Minnesota Wild are already deep into extension talks with one of the biggest names on their radar. Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman has said he expects a deal to get done, and general manager Billy Guerin has met with Hughess camp while keeping a patient posture as the sides work through the details.
The sticking point appears to be the length of the commitment, with the discussion centered on how long both sides want to tie themselves together. Even with momentum toward an agreement, the calendar is starting to matter, and the start of the season is looming as the sort of checkpoint that can turn a routine negotiation into a much bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]