The Minnesota Wild have gotten off to a solid start to the season, posting a 6-2-1 record and entering Tuesday in second place of the Central Division. But the Wild’s success on the ice has taken a backseat to the drama off of it as the Wild continue to pursue a trade with the Detroit Red Wings for Dylan Larkin.
Danila Yurov’s performance on the ice has complicated talks between the two teams as he’s a rumored centerpiece for a deal. While the Red Wings may have been leery about Yurov’s upside, the 23-year-old has answered those questions early, scoring four goals in the Wild’s first nine games and three goals in the past three games.
Yurov’s recent performance may have sweetened the pot for Detroit, who have recently sent assistant general manager and overseer of pro scouting Kris Draper and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff to scout the Wild in recent weeks. But it also have Wild fans wondering if dealing Yurov is a smart move considering his upside.
It’s a debate that will rage until Larkin is traded, but it also may be the cost of doing business as the Wild is in the middle of a championship window.
Danila Yurov’s early-season breakout could give Wild a reason to walk away from Dylan Larkin
Ever since Larkin’s trade request became public last June, the Wild seemed like a perfect fit. A six-time 30-goal scorer and a player that has reached that mark in each of the past five seasons, Larkin would slot in as a top-line center in Minnesota. He also has a previous connection with Quinn Hughes, which may play a role in getting negotiations on a contract extension across the finish line.
While the Wild are a good team right now, adding Larkin could make them a great one. But the problem has been finding the assets that can actually bring him to Minnesota.
The Red Wings have made that difficult, dealing with drama that includes the reassignment of president of hockey operations Steve Yzerman to an advisory role. Detroit also seems to be holding firm on a high asking price for Larkin, which seems reasonable considering he has five years remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $8.7 million.
If Detroit continues to play hardball, the Wild may be wise moving on and waiting for the next big name to become available and Yurov’s play may make it easier to do just that.
Yurov’s overall numbers, which also include an assist, have been impressive in the first five games. But so has the overall improvement in his game. He’s developed into a strong defensive presence entering his second year in the NHL and he’s also seen a major improvement in the circle, seeing his faceoff winning percentage jump from 39.2 percent this season to 56.6 percent this season.
At 23 years old and still on an entry level contract, it may make more sense for the Wild to hang onto Yurov and build around their core stars including Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber. That idea also becomes more enticing considering 2023 first-round pick Charlie Stramel would stay in Minnesota after drawing rave reviews during the preseason.
But it also comes with a catch. While Yurov is playing well at the moment, he is likely to have the highs and lows of a young player. This doesn’t mean that Yurov’s upside is capped, but it does mean he’s not the player that Larkin would be if he was traded to Minnesota. If the Wild were to keep Yurov, he would have to reach that level immediately and that’s the reality of a team that has the intention of competing for a Stanley Cup.
Wild shouldn’t hesitate to trade Danila Yurov for Dylan Larkin
The Wild made that choice a year ago when they traded Zeev Buium as part of a package that acquired Hughes from the Canucks. While Buium has plenty of upside, there was no guarantee that he would be the same level of player as Hughes and it was impossible that he would play at that level as the Wild chase a championship.
That proof could be seen in Buium’s stats for the Vancouver Canucks as he has one point and a minus-six rating in 10 games. He has also been demoted to the third defensive pairing and taken off both power play units, which would have had the Wild riding the growing pains as he gets acclimated to the NHL.
Yurov is further along in that process, but if the Wild want to win a Cup, he may be the cost of business to make that happen. It may also be the deciding factor for Hughes, who is contemplating his future but may believe it’s brighter in Minnesota playing next to someone he considers a mentor as a fellow University of Michigan alum.
These are also the types of decisions that teams make when they’re in the Wild’s situation. The Vegas Golden Knights have frequently traded first round picks as they’ve maximized their window and only two players from those picks (Trevor Connelly and Juho Piiparinen) remain with the club as they’ve pursued established NHL stars.
This decision has also been made within the Central Division as the Dallas Stars acquired Mikko Rantanaen but had to send 21-year-old Logan Stankoven to the Carolina Hurricanes in return. Stankoven still has plenty of upside, but the Stars made that move because it was a better fit for their timeline.
If trading Yurov nets the Wild’s three more years of Hughes, exchanging him for Larkin is a solid decision and one that shouldn’t give Bill Guerin hesitation if he can finally strike a deal with the Red Wings.
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