The Minnesota Wild have spent this offseason trying to land a No. 1 center to help increase their odds of winning the Stanley Cup. The one player they were linked to heavily was Detroit Red Wings captain and center Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade earlier this offseason and had the Wild on his wishlist. Ultimately, nothing came to fruition, as their offers to the Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman were not enough.
On Wednesday, the Wild and the rest of the NHL world were given a shock when the Red Wings announced that Yzerman was stepping down as executive vice president and general manager of the team. Now, Detroit is in the process of searching for a new head of hockey operations. Now, the Wild will have to wait and see who the Red Wings hire to replace Yzerman and then see what their plan is for Larkin, and vice versa.
The Athletic's Michael Russo and Joe Smith detailed what the Wild's outlook for landing Larkin looks like now that Yzerman is out of the picture in Detroit. The duo say that this does provide uncertainty regarding the plans for Larkin, when with Yzerman they knew what to expect. But Russo and Smith mention that Wild general manager Bill Guerin's plans to wait on Larkin may have backfired, considering there are no quality centers left on trade block and in free agency.
Wild waiting on Dylan Larkin may not pan out after Steve Yzerman ouster
"But the problem for now, from Minnesota’s perspective at least, is there are no real Plan B options out there up the middle," write Russo and Smith. "The Wild passed on the price for Trocheck, who was acquired by the division-rival Utah Mammoth for defenseman Sean Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in 2027. Utah also snagged Minnesota’s top free-agent target, Edina legend Anders Lee.
"That’s why Wednesday’s news is so significant from the Wild’s perspective. They didn’t merely miss on centers this summer. They intentionally waited. They passed on opportunities because they believed there was still a realistic path to acquiring the player they wanted most. Whether that gamble ultimately pays off remains to be seen. But Yzerman’s resignation almost certainly means the Wild are going to have to wait even longer to find out."
This is why this news of Yzerman stepping down from his role in Detroit isn't necessarily a good thing. Sure, Yzerman won't be playing hardball anymore, but who's to say his replacement wont' do the same thing. Also, there is the chance that the the new general manager will try to mend things with Larkin to convince him to stay this upcoming season.
Again, the Wild will probably have to bank on Larkin being dead set on leaving Detroit to feel somewhat good about their chances. Larkin's meeting with the new general manager will be pivotal, whenever that is.
As mentioned, the Wild don't have feasible backup options if the Larkiin pursuit falls short. They were also heavily linked to Vincent Trocheck throughout the calendar year. Ultimately, Guerin and Rangers general manager Chris Drury were unable to reach an agreement. It became obvious that the Wild were more focused on Larkin. Then, at the start of free agency, the Rangers dealt Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round draft pick.
The Wild were also in the running for Brady Tkachuk, but that came to light after he was traded to the Florida Panthers.
Simply put, the Wild have to wait even longer to get some sort of clarity on the Larkin situation, considering they need a new head of the front office to run things. As of this writing, who knows how long that search is going to take.
Add us as a preferred source on Google