Twitter was ablaze over the weekend, albeit briefly, with rumours that Dylan Larkin had requested a trade out of Detroit.
Chris Johnston, who was baited by an apparent burner account citing insider sources, doused the flames and denied any smoke on that front.
Detroit’s captain is not seeking a change of scenery. He is locked up long term with the Red Wings, only in Year 2 of an eight-year contract paying him $8.7 million through 2031. He is still the face of that franchise, as of today.
And Steve Yzerman is presumably happy with Larkin’s leadership to date, despite Detroit missing the playoffs for eight straight years dating back to Larkin’s rookie season when the Wings were eliminated in the first round by Yzerman’s former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It’s debatable whether the Yzerplan is going to script or showing signs of being successful in Detroit, but the coach will be changing before the captain. Derek Lalonde before Dylan Larkin, if and when one of the DL’s are shown the door.
To be clear, Larkin is less likely to be moved than Brady Tkachuk or JT Miller, and all three are probably staying put.
Some people have too much time on their hands to be fanning fake rumours. Johnston was quick to snuff those out, but it did get everyone talking and thinking — or dreaming up trade scenarios and landing spots for Larkin.
Here are seven potential destinations, playing off a hypothetical falling out in Detroit.
Dallas Stars
Tyler Seguin’s hip surgery has freed up enough cap space for the Stars to target a Larkin type. Dallas is in win-now mode and Jim Nill has a history in Detroit, and with Yzerman, but Nill was already in Dallas for Larkin’s draft year.
Larkin would be quite the ringer for the Stars but also a long-term investment as a core piece going forward. Seguin, Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene are on the back-nine now, and Larkin would give Dallas a dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle with Roope Hintz.
Yzerman would be asking for one of Wyatt Johnston or Logan Stankoven as the key piece coming back to Detroit. Stankoven is more fathomable from Dallas’s perspective. That would be one of four pieces in a package.
If it is Stankoven, then Mavrik Bourque makes sense as a running mate. If it was Johnston, then Detroit probably settles for Antonio Stranges or Emil Hemming as the second forward.
With Stankoven and Bourque, Dallas would still need to include Lian Bichsel or Christian Kyrou and a first-round pick — the Stars can dangle their firsts for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
With Johnston and Stranges, add Aram Minnetian or Tristan Bertucci, and a first.
If Detroit gets their choice of the defence prospects, perhaps they also send Elmer Solderblom back to Dallas as a big forward who could use a fresh start and somebody of interest for Nill.
Stankoven, Bourque, Bichsel and a 2025 first for Larkin and Soderblom — would Detroit accept that offer?
Johnston, Stranges, Minnetian and a 2025 first for Larkin and Soderblom — would Dallas make that offer? How about Johnston, Hemming, Bertucci and a 2025 first?
Who says no here? Is there a deal to be done with Dallas?
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have a need for Larkin with Elias Lindholm not looking like the solution to their centre concerns despite also being signed through 2031 at $7.75 million.
Larkin is a couple years younger and much quicker with a similar two-way presence but more offensive upside. He’d be a great fit for Boston.
Detroit probably wouldn’t take Lindholm back and Boston probably wouldn’t want to part with Pavel Zacha, considering his chemistry with compatriot David Pastrnak. So that could be an immediate road block here.
Charlie Coyle is a Boston guy, but he might have to be the cap casualty if Lindholm and Zacha aren’t involved, though Coyle doesn’t move the needle for Detroit’s retooling either. One of those three seemingly need to be included for cap purposes.
Beyond that, Trent Frederic is a pending unrestricted free agent that Detroit could covet if an extension could be agreed upon. John Beecher could be of interest too, having played his college hockey at Michigan.
Mason Lohrei’s name would certainly come up in any conversations. Perhaps Brandon Carlo as well, which could be the bigger cap hit coming back assuming the aforementioned centres don’t fit the bill.
Matt Poitras and/or Fabian Lysell would be considered key pieces for Detroit. Dean Letourneau is adjusting to the college game but could be swapped for Soderblom to seal the deal. Boston has their firsts for the next three years if necessary.
Carlo, Frederic, Poitras, Lysell, Letourneau and a 2025 first for Larkin, Soderblom and Erik Gustafsson — too much from Boston or not enough for Detroit? Just too much in general? Anybody got a calculator for the cap implications? Close or no chance?
New York Rangers
The Rangers are another intriguing fit for Larkin. They have the assets to reel in a big fish, as mentioned with Tkachuk and Miller. They also want to shake up their core by the sounds of it.
Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault as forwards. K’Andre Miller, Braden Schneider, Zac Jones and EJ Emery as defenders. Firsts for the next three years.
The Rangers have the cap room after shipping their former captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim. They are apparently still shopping Chris Kreider but it’s doubtful Detroit would take back a forward over 30 years old. That would defeat the purpose.
But if Detroit was serious about moving Larkin, Yzerman’s first call might be to Chris Drury. And Drury may have already reached out to inquire about Larkin’s availability — he would bolster the Rangers’ speed up front while still playing a responsible style for a seamless transition between Original Six franchises.
Assuming there is mutual interest and momentum for Larkin to the Rangers, that return would be very interesting for the Wings. Those would be wingers coming back instead of centres but Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson are trending well this season. Joe Veleno and Michael Rasmussen are just entering their prime and capable of playing centre too, along with overachieving prospects Amadeus Lombardi and Emmitt Finnie. Detroit has a lot of defence prospects in the wings, so their focus would be more so on the forwards from the Rangers.
This trade could, theoretically, be quality for quality in a smaller swap. Lafreniere for Larkin as a 1-for-1 or do the Rangers need to add a first or a second? Kakko, Othmann and K’Andre Miller for Larkin or is that an overpayment as a 3-for-1? Perreault, Schneider, Emery and a 2025 first as a futures-based deal or is Detroit trying to end that playoff drought sooner than later for their fan base?
Minnesota Wild
After those Big 3, as the most likely suitors for Larkin, the Wild will have cap space next season when the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts finally come off the books.
Larkin would be a prime target for Bill Guerin since Minnesota doesn’t have a true top-line centre. Marco Rossi is enjoying a breakout season but Detroit would no doubt want him in return, as a starting point.
Matt Boldy is obviously off limits and would be flanking Larkin for the foreseeable future there. Larkin and Joel Eriksson Ek would be a nice combo down the middle for Minnesota.
The Wings might also ask for Zeev Buium, whose older brother Shai is developing in Detroit’s system. The Wild just acquired David Jiricek and likely wouldn’t flip him but may not see that move as making Zeev Buium expendable either.
Rossi and Buium for Larkin as a 2-for-1 could be enticing for both Yzerman and Guerin. Or not?
Minnesota has more to offer with Riley Heidt, Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov as forward prospects of interest, along with Rossi. Marat Khusnutsdinov and Charlie Stramel probably don’t get Detroit as excited but could be secondary pieces. So could defenders such as Aron Kiviharju, Carson Lambos, Jack Peart, David Spacek or Ryan O’Rourke. Minnesota doesn’t have a first in 2025 but could do 2026 or 2027.
Rossi, Yurov and Kiviharju for Larkin — yea or nay? Rossi, Heidt and Lambos? Rossi, Ohgren, Stramel and Peart? Yes, to all of the above? No way, go away?
Winnipeg Jets
Minnesota almost made that a Big 4 when weighing all their options, but Winnipeg could take a run at Larkin too.
The Jets are running Vladislav Namestnikov as their second-line centre and that likely won’t cut it in the playoffs. No offence to Namestnikov but Larkin would be a massive upgrade and turn Winnipeg into a true contender, joining Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry to solidify the Jets at centre.
Kevin Cheveldayoff has some decisions to make, especially with Nik Ehlers as a pending UFA. If he is re-signing, the Jets might not have the money for Larkin.
They probably don’t want to move Gabe Vilardi or Cole Perfetti for Larkin, but Yzerman would be asking about those three if he was leaning towards a hockey deal. He would need some assurance from Ehlers about extending with Detroit, who wouldn’t want him as a rental. If Ehlers is involved, with a pending extension, that alleviates the cap concerns here.
Winnipeg hasn’t had the best luck with Americans in recent years — Blake Wheeler, Jacob Trouba and Rutger McGroarty, in particular — but Larkin’s leadership shouldn’t be impacted by his passport. He wants to win and Winnipeg offers a better opportunity than Detroit in the present. And he could be paired with a fellow American in Kyle Connor.
Detroit might take back Ehlers to balance the money but Yzerman would also want at least one of Brad Lambert, Brayden Yager or Colby Barlow. Maybe one of Nikita Chibrikov, Dmitri Rashevsky, Chaz Lucius, Danny Zhilkin or Kevin He as well.
Winnipeg doesn’t have much to offer on defence — assuming Dylan Samberg isn’t available and assuming the Wings aren’t overly interested in Ville Heinola, Elias Salomonsson, Dmitri Kuzmin or Alfons Freij. The Jets do have their first-round picks for the next three years, if need be.
Ehlers (extended around $7.5M, just below Alex DeBrincat), Lambert, Rashevsky and a 2025 first for Larkin and Michael Rasmussen, who would be a beast alongside Lowry while Lambert is a burner down the middle to somewhat replicate Larkin. Is that realistic? Or ridiculous?
St. Louis Blues
Larkin just feels like a good fit or a typical fit for the Blues. Jim Montgomery would welcome him with open arms there in St. Louis.
Larkin with Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn as a centre trio would almost certainly catapult the Blues back into the playoff picture. They are in the midst of a retool with impressive youth carving out roles this season — Jake Neighbours, Dylan Holloway, Zach Bolduc and Philip Broberg are presumably untouchable, even for Larkin. Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich aren’t going anywhere either.
Somebody like Brandon Saad would have to offset the cap but wouldn’t hold much value for Detroit as a veteran middle-six winger.
Yzerman’s ask would start with two of Dalibor Dvorsky, Jimmy Snuggerud and Otto Stenberg. The Wings could also have interest in Theo Lindstein and Adam Jiricek as young defenders but would probably prioritize the forwards. Zach Dean, Matvei Korotky, Adam Jecho, Tomas Mrsic and Scott Perunovich could also be discussed, along with St. Louis’s first-round picks for the next three years.
Doug Armstrong and Alex Steen would be the buyers here. And they would be willing to pay a steep price if they want to chase another Cup sooner than later.
Saad, Dvorsky, Stenberg and a 2025 first for Larkin — too steep? Saad, Snuggerud, Lindstein and that first — not steep enough?
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres are reeling again, now that their old-turned-new coach bump wore off with Lindy Ruff. Buffalo’s fan base is riled up, currently enduring the NHL’s longest playoff drought at 13 years — going on 14, unless Kevyn Adams does something drastic.
Dylan Larkin would be a drastic addition for the Sabres, and they have both the cap space and the future assets to pull it off.
Larkin would look great on an all-American line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, allowing Thompson to shift back to the wing. But Buffalo could slot them both as centres for a formidable top six if they would rather turn Dylan Cozens into a winger.
The Sabres’ future should be bright, regardless, but Larkin would give them a real boost in the present.
Sticking with the four-piece package for the Yzerplan, Detroit could demand one of J.J. Peterka, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn or Jiri Kulich, one of Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund or Konsta Helenius, one of Ryan Johnson or Maxim Strbak, and a first-round pick in any of the next three years.
That seems fair enough but Buffalo might want to swap out a second-tier forward for a third-tier option such as Anton Wahlberg, Viktor Neuchev, Alexander Kisakov, Prokhor Poltapov or Brodie Ziemer. However, that shouldn’t be a sticking point or prevent the Sabres from landing Larkin as the best player in the deal.
Peterka, Ostlund, Johnson and a 2025 first for Larkin — is Yzerman listening or letting that call go to voicemail? Peterka would be reunited with Moritz Seider for the German connection.
Quinn, Rosen, Strbak and a 2025 first — is that even worthy of a call back from Detroit? What if it was Quinn, Kulich, Strbak and a 2026 second? Or how about Benson, Helenius, Johnson and the 2025 first?
Closing Thoughts
If Larkin becomes available, for whatever reasons, the Wings will have plenty of options. We’ve highlighted seven landing spots here but Colorado and Vancouver also came to mind — Casey Mittelstadt isn’t solving the Avs’ centre depth issues but Larkin certainly would, while the Canucks could entertain Miller for Larkin and Gustafsson or a younger defender like Albert Johansson or William Wallinder.
Vancouver would love to land Axel Sandin-Pellikka but that is probably a pipe dream, though Patrik Allvin could try Miller, Nils Hoglander and Aatu Raty for Larkin and ASP.
Colorado might want to flip Mittelstadt for Larkin rather than pair them — and for cap purposes — but the Avalanche would still need to part with Calum Ritchie and either Mikhail Gulyayev or one of their firsts from 2026 or 2027 to fetch Larkin.
Alas, this is all speculation and much ado over a bogus rumour. Until a legit source mentions Larkin, it’s safe to assume Detroit will continue building around him. But it’s evident there would be a market for Larkin if the Red Wings wanted to turn that page.
Putting yourself in Yzerman’s shoes as an armchair GM, would you stick with Larkin or explore trading him? Do any or many of these proposals get your attention or your approval?
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