The Minnesota Wild reported for training camp on Wednesday and they did so without Dylan Larkin. Larkin has been the Wild’s main prize throughout the summer, but their pursuit may have gotten a final push when interim general manager Shawn Horcoff told reporters on Wednesday that Larkin has sustained an upper-body injury while training and will not be skating when the Red Wings begin camp per The Athletic’s Max Bultman.
NHL teams are not required to disclose exact injuries, normally resulting in “upper-body” and “lower-body” designations. It’s also not appropriate to speculate on injuries, but this one has convenient timing after Larkin was stripped of his captaincy last week. It’s enough for Wild fans to connect the dots and allow them to see the end of the Larkin saga coming as he sits on the sidelines.
Dylan Larkin may have tweaked something packing his bags for Minnesota
The Wild have spent most of their offseason targeting Larkin since he requested a trade last June. The former Red Wings captain has spent all of his 11 seasons in Detroit since he was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 draft but the team’s playoff drought of 10 seasons and his rocky relationship with former president of hockey operations Steve Yzerman were key reasons why he asked to move on.
Since then, there’s been a lot of drama but no movement. Yzerman told Larkin’s camp that he would make no guarantees that his request would be honored and rumors surfaced that he had a high initial asking price including star forward Matt Boldy. The Wild rightfully balked but the two sides stood as a standstill as Larkin holds a no-trade clause and Yzerman was reassigned by the Red Wings before Horcoff was named the interim general manager earlier this week.
With the Red Wings’ season opener coming against the New York Rangers in Detroit on Oct. 2, the clock may be ticking to complete a deal. But the Wild still don’t have assets that can help Detroit remain competitive in a Larkin trade. Horcoff told reporters on Wednesday that a rebuild “is out of the question while he’s in charge” per Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, perhaps reinforcing a third team may need to get involved for a deal to go through.
Still, it only seems like a matter of time until Larkin winds up in Minnesota. Larkin put the Wild on his list of three preferred destinations as part of his request, but the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers have not shown the same level of interest, mainly due to a lack of cap space and assets that they’re willing to give up in a deal. With the Red Wings also potentially wanting to avoid a PR nightmare, Larkin’s injury could be a blessing in disguise, especially if the two teams are in the final stages of negotiations.
Dylan Larkin’s injury could be a final hurdle for the Wild to clear
Once again, there’s a chance that Larkin is injured and the Red Wings are taking a precaution with one of their best players. In that event, the Wild will have to do their homework and make sure they’re not acquiring a damaged asset.
But having an injury pop up during training camp is a tactic that some athletes have used to get what they want in the past. Some fans may remember Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson had an ear infection that turned into a back injury during training camp in 2023 and a few weeks later, he was the proud owner of a lucrative contract extension.
There’s even a chance that the Red Wings are focusing on the players that will be present the entire season, which means that Larkin’s replacement could be getting valuable reps for however long he could be sidelined.
Of course, Wild fans just want a deal to be finished and there are several signs that it could be heading to the finish line. While Larkin’s injury could further complicate a deal, it could also be what makes it official and gives Minnesota the top-line center they’ve been hoping for this offseason.
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