Dylan Larkin, whether willingly or not, has just become the focus of the NHL offseason, despite the Stanley Cup Finals being underway. TSN’s Elliotte Friedman reported (and The Athletic’s Max Bultman confirmed) that Larkin has requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
It makes sense -- after all, Larkin has only seen a single playoff appearance (a five-game loss during his 2015-16 rookie season). Detroit hasn’t been without its chances to end a 10-year playoff drought, as it held playoff spots entering March in three straight seasons before squandering those opportunities down the stretch each year.
If Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman deals Larkin this summer, he will have quite a market for an affordable top center who has scored at least 30 goals in five-straight seasons. It would just depend on which route he wants to take the roster for 2026-27. Does he want to compete now or blow it up and move the window forward?
How Detroit can win now while trading Larkin
The Red Wings have some young pieces that have shown promise in spurts, with Simon Edvinsson providing solid play in his first full season and forming one of the NHL’s top pairings with Moritz Seider in the first few months of the year in 2025-26. Marco Kasper had a big second half of his rookie season before suffering a sophomore slump this season. Detroit also has a pair of NHL-ready goaltending prospects, promising wingers in Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Carter Bear. They've also got former first rounders Nate Danielson and Axel Sandin Pellikka knocking on the door.
Red Wings could target top centers
One favorite scenario of NHL pundits for an offseason trade is former first overall pick Nico Hischier. The New Jersey Devils center is nearly a clone of Larkin in that he is a reliable two-way forward and has been roughly a point per game player over the past few years. He is due for a new contract after next season that will easily clear $10 million in average annual cap value, but he gets the Red Wings into a stable point to still make other moves to build their roster up.
There is also the possibility that the Red Wings target players who don’t play center in a return, but that would be further weakening the team’s biggest weakness. It's difficult to see how that makes them competitive.
Starting up the rebuild again
Detroit is in a weird position even without this news as Larkin is almost 30 while Alex DeBrincat is going to be an unrestricted free agent after next season when he turns 29. Meanwhile, the other core players such as Moritz Seider (24 years old), Lucas Raymond (23) and Simon Edvinsson (22) are much younger and just approaching their peak production years.
That said, the Red Wings aren’t in a great bargaining position to get an immediate return in a trade. Should they decide they are willing to keep their playoff drought going a little longer, the options open up for some futures returns.
A couple suitors emerge for Larkin out west, depending on his no-trade list. The San Jose Sharks appear to be a team on the rise and are building around superstar forward Macklin Celebrini. Adding another center like Larkin could well put them over the top in a wide-open Pacific Division and the return could send San Jose’s first round pick (second overall) or 2025 second overall pick Michael Misa. That won’t net Gavin McKenna, but could get a center prospect like Caleb Malhotra to add to the mix.
Should they want some more immediate young assets, Detroit could move Larkin for a package that includes Mason McTavish, who has been getting pushed lower in the lineup due to the emergence of Leo Carlsson and restricted free agent defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, filling out a couple of holes with younger NHL talent. It still probably requires a step back in the standings, but the deal may pan out.
If the Red Wings are looking to move Larkin for future pieces, it would open the floodgates to deal DeBrincat and pending free agents Justin Faulk, John Gibson and Andrew Copp. Such moves could put the team in contention for likely 2027 first overall pick Landon DuPont.
Regardless of how Detroit plays it, Dylan Larkin has just made Detroit the talk of the NHL for this offseason in a way Steve Yzerman didn’t want.
