The Minnesota Wild have been the most active team in the Dylan Larkin chase, and according to Pierre LeBrun, they’ve been pressing Detroit on the forward since this all started in June.
LeBrun said Minnesota has “made the most trade offers to Detroit since this all began in June,” which lines up with how the Wild view Larkin: as the kind of missing piece they’ve been hunting for. It also matches the sense that Larkin would like to land there. The problem, as LeBrun laid out, is that Minnesota has already thinned out its cupboard after the Quinn Hughes deal last December, making it tough to put together something Detroit would actually want.
That leaves the Wild in the familiar spot of being the best fit on paper and still not quite there in reality.
There are other clubs on the list now, too. LeBrun pointed to New Jersey and Washington as newer names worth watching, calling Washington’s presence a reflection of how Chris Patrick has retooled the team without bottoming out. He also noted that Washington is a team that can “make some hay this year.”
Utah has also spoken with Detroit, but LeBrun doesn’t see that as a major push. The center depth there is part of the reason, with Logan Cooley even skating on the wing right now. Colorado, meanwhile, was described as too loaded up front to make much sense as a serious landing spot.
Montreal is the odd twist in all of this. The Canadiens are not on Larkin’s current list, but LeBrun said they remain interested if he ever changes his mind.
He also said people in Larkin’s camp view Montreal as a decent fit. That came up again after Larkin was in Montreal a couple of weeks ago and fans at the Bell Centre chanted his name.
LeBrun said Larkin “did not ignore what happened that night in Montreal” and added that it hasn’t changed his mind so far. For now, all the teams on his list are U.S. teams.
What does seem clear is that this can’t linger forever. LeBrun said he expects Larkin’s side, led by agent Pat Brisson, has made it clear to Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff that they want this finished sooner rather than later. If the process drags another couple of months, LeBrun raised the possibility that Larkin could widen his list even further, though he also stressed that Larkin does not want this to drag on that long.
The big picture remains the same: Minnesota has been the loudest bidder, New Jersey and Washington have entered the conversation, Utah has checked in, and Montreal is waiting in the wings if Larkin ever decides to open the door.
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For the Wild, the real issue is how aggressively they want to push their chips in right now. Hughes is open to signing, but he is taking his time, which leaves Minnesota weighing patience against the kind of short-term urgency that can come with a team that thinks it has a legitimate shot. The unresolved question is whether the organization believes this is the year to chase the Stanley Cup at full tilt, because that judgment could ultimately decide how far it goes with Hughes. [Read more 🡒]