The Minnesota Wild still look like one of the cleanest fits for Dylan Larkin, but the closer this gets to a real framework, the clearer one thing becomes: Detroit has no reason to settle for just Danila Yurov.
That’s the name that keeps popping up because Yurov matches the kind of player the Red Wings seem to be targeting. He’s young, he plays center, and he has enough upside to matter. But if the Wild want Larkin, who has scored at least 30 goals in five straight seasons, one promising prospect is not enough to get it done.
Detroit’s stance appears to be shifting, at least a little, in terms of what kind of centerpiece it’s willing to discuss. On the Oct. 22 edition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Red Wings are “starting to ask about young centers,” including prospects who haven’t locked down an NHL role yet.
That broadens the search, but it doesn’t make the price cheaper. It just changes the shape of it.
Yurov fits the profile. Minnesota took him 24th overall in the first round of the 2022 Draft, and the Wild list him as a left-shot center on the three-year entry-level contract he signed in May 2025.
That deal runs through 2027-28 and carries a cap hit under $1 million. For a team trying to build around Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, that kind of cost-controlled talent carries obvious appeal.
But the production tells you why he can’t be the whole return. Yurov wrapped up his rookie season with 12 goals and 27 points in 73 games, according to PuckPedia’s player profile.
That’s a respectable first step. It is not enough to replace what Larkin brings.
Larkin put up 34 goals and 67 points in 74 games last season, his fifth straight 30-goal campaign. That’s the gap Detroit has to weigh here. Trading a proven top-line center for a player still carving out his place in the league would leave the middle of the roster thinner for a long time.
That’s why Yurov makes sense as part of a larger package, not as the main attraction. A realistic deal would need to include another major piece, whether that’s an established NHL player or another highly rated prospect, plus a first-round pick.
The Wild’s salary situation makes things even trickier. Minnesota is just over $1 million below the cap, according to PucksandStats’ cap projections, so a move for Larkin’s $8.7 million cap hit would require money heading back to Detroit. A package built only on prospects and picks doesn’t solve that problem.
So the deal has to do two things at once: clear cap room for Minnesota and still give Detroit enough value to move its best center. That’s a tough line to walk, especially when the Wings have no pressure to rush.
The Wild’s interest makes sense for another reason, too. Quinn Hughes is in the final season of his contract, and his friendship with Larkin has been a constant part of the conversation, as our latest NHL rumors on the friendship laid out last week.
That only strengthens Minnesota’s motivation. It also gives Detroit more leverage.
Larkin still has five seasons left on his contract, and his list now includes 10 teams. Only two of those teams can absorb his deal cleanly, but even that gives the Red Wings more room than they had in the summer.
And unlike a team in a full panic, Detroit can afford to wait. The Red Wings had earned points in six straight games before a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Oct.
- So yes, Yurov belongs in the discussion.
He just shouldn’t be the player that convinces Detroit to stop asking for more.
In Other News...
Quinn Hughes Just Put Wild Fans On Contract Watch
Quinn Hughes has given Wild fans plenty to monitor as he works through what comes next, and the good news for Minnesota is that he has made it clear he likes where he is. The pending free agent spoke about wanting to remain with the Wild, praised the strength of the roster, and said his experience in Minnesota has been a positive one, all while making it clear he is not rushing the process.
Hughes is entering the final year of his current contract, and for now there is still no extension in hand. He has been productive this season, which only adds to the intrigue around how long the Wild can keep him in place, and whether a decision comes sooner rather than later will be one of the more closely watched developments around the team. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Offseason Pressure Just Got Tied To Two Star Names
The ripple effects of the Connor Hellebuyck trade have put Minnesota in an interesting spot as the offseason chatter starts to overlap with bigger-name decisions around the league. Michael Russo and EJ Hradek used the deal as a lens for what teams may be willing to pay in future trades, how clubs value draft capital, and how those conversations can shape both roster building and contract strategy.
For the Wild, the conversation has also bled into two names that matter a lot to the next phase of the franchise: Dylan Larkin and Quinn Hughes. Minnesota has been tied to interest in Larkin, while Hughes remains unsigned, leaving plenty of room for speculation about how the market could develop and which direction the Wild ultimately choose as they weigh present-day needs against a longer rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Make A Roster Move With One Young Forward Still Pushing Hard
The Minnesota Wild sent forward Rieger Lorenz back to the Iowa Wild, trimming their roster as the young player continues his first full pro season. Lorenz, drafted in 2022 and recently signed to his entry-level deal, had earned six games with Minnesota this season and was getting his first taste of NHL action after making the jump from the amateur ranks.
For the Wild, the move keeps the 21-year-old in a spot where he can log meaningful minutes and keep developing after a promising start in the AHL. Lorenz already has shown some offensive touch in Iowa, and with the organization managing its depth at forward, he remains one of the more interesting young pieces to track as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]