After missing out on Brady Tkachuk, the Minnesota Wild may have another opportunity to add a big piece this summer if Dylan Larkin is truly available.
Minnesota has been connected to centers for what feels like months now, and for good reason. The Wild could use another impact player down the middle, especially after some of the issues that showed up during the playoffs.
The Detroit Red Wings captain reportedly requested a trade earlier this month, and Minnesota was one of the teams mentioned early in the process. Whether that ultimately means anything remains to be seen, but the fit is pretty easy to understand.
Dylan Larkin should be top target for the Wild
Larkin would give the Wild another proven center to play ahead of Joel Eriksson Ek while also bringing speed and experience to a group that is trying to take another step forward.
There's also the Team USA connection. Larkin recently won Olympic gold alongside Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, and Quinn Hughes. Which has become all the talk around the NHL, with players from the team asking for trades from their current teams.
The Dallas Stars have also been linked to Larkin, so Minnesota probably won't be the only team making calls if trade talks pick up. Still, the Wild are in a much different position than they were a year or two ago.
If the Wild were able to land Larkin, it would cost them quite a bit. If we think about the Hughes trade, they had to part with a lot of youth. The same thing will be the case with this trade. It would likely include Danila Yurov, Bobby Brink and maybe even Charlie Stramel. It could also include the 2027 first-round pick and potentially even the 2028 first-round pick.
It's hard not to see why Minnesota would have interest. A lineup featuring Kirill Kaprizov, Eriksson Ek, and Larkin and Boldy up front would make them even more competitive than they were last season.
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