The Minnesota Wild believe they’ve put their best foot forward in the Dylan Larkin sweepstakes, but that still hasn’t been enough to pry him loose from Detroit.
Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network that Minnesota thinks it has the strongest package on the table among the teams Larkin has agreed he’d be willing to join, even if the Red Wings aren’t ready to bite.
“The impression I really get from talking to people around the league, Michael, is that Minnesota thinks they have a great offer on the table, or you know, the best offer of those teams on the table.”
Friedman laid out the shape of the proposal as “(Danila) Yurov, another player, and I think two or three firsts. Like it’s a bunch of first-round picks,” but added that Detroit’s stance has been clear: if that were enough, the deal would already be done. The Red Wings, according to Friedman, want more than future assets.
That’s where the stalemate sits. Friedman said Larkin has a list of about 10 teams he would accept a trade to, but not every club on that list makes sense for Detroit. He pointed to Vegas and Florida as examples of teams that don’t line up “trade wise,” “cap wise” or “fit wise.”
He also said Detroit has had other teams outside that approved group try to get involved, including Montreal, Buffalo and St. Louis, with those clubs asking the Red Wings to consider them as possible landing spots. So far, Friedman said, Larkin has not agreed to those options.
The bigger issue, though, is the divide between what Larkin and his camp believe should work and what Detroit is willing to accept. Friedman said Larkin and his agents, including Pat Brisson, think there’s a deal out there that should be good enough, while the Red Wings do not.
“That’s why we got to this point where Larkin decided it was time, and he had enough, as he said, as Brisson said yesterday.”
For now, Friedman described the situation as both sides dug in and refusing to move.
“But I think that’s, I think Minnesota feels confident they’ve got a good offer out there, but it’s obviously not good enough for Detroit.”
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Have Two Early Problems That Could Linger
The Wild have been trying to patch together a lineup hit by injuries to several key players, and the early-season ripple effects are starting to show. Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, Nico Sturm and Jared Spurgeon have all been part of the injury conversation, leaving John Hynes to juggle updates as much as personnel. The encouraging sign is that Gustavsson and Faber have both gotten back on the ice, a small but meaningful step for a team that needs stability at both ends of the rink.
There is also a separate front office storyline hovering in the background, one that has little to do with the current injury list but plenty to do with the Wild's long-term picture. Bill Guerin said there has not been recent communication with Quinn Hughes' camp, and he framed the focus squarely on the team in front of him. For Minnesota, the immediate concern is getting healthy and sorting out the roster it has now, while the bigger questions keep waiting in the wings. [Read more 🡒]
Mikko Rantanens Deal Says Everything About Dallas Next Big Negotiation
Mikko Rantanens new eight-year, $96 million extension in Dallas landed as one of those deals that says as much about the player as it does about the team. In an NHL market where the salary cap keeps climbing and top-end stars keep pushing the number higher, Rantanen chose stability over squeezing every last dollar, giving the Stars a major long-term piece while resetting the conversation around what elite forwards can command.
For Minnesota fans, the ripple effect is easy to spot in the background, because Dallas now has another star contract to navigate while Jason Robertson sits on a one-year deal that expires after this season. The timing matters, too, with negotiations always looking different when a player is headed toward the open market and when a team is trying to keep its core intact under a cap that is changing fast. [Read more 🡒]
Stars Could Expose Whether Capitals Hot Start Is Actually Real
Washington has opened the 2026-27 season with an 8-4-0 record and sits third in the Metropolitan Division, a start that has given the Capitals some early breathing room in a crowded race. Alex Ovechkin is still driving the offense, and the team has done enough through the first month to look like more than a slow starter trying to find its footing.
The next stretch should say a lot more about how real this beginning is. Minnesota is on the schedule, but the bigger measuring sticks come right after, with Dallas and Florida waiting to test whether the Capitals can keep producing against playoff-caliber opponents while dealing with some issues on the back end. If the results hold, the early standings will look a lot more meaningful, and if they do not, the hot start could start to feel a little less secure. [Read more 🡒]