The Detroit Red Wings made sure to stay busy on Friday night, trading Sebastian Cossa to the Utah Mammoth for their second first-round pick, 23rd overall. They used the pick to take J.P. Hurlbert. However, the Red Wings were supposed to make a much bigger trade, and that trade was supposed to involve the Minnesota Wild, according to many reports.
Team USA’s GM Bill Guerin is trying to collect the superstars from that team like Infinity Stones. He already traded for Quinn Hughes prior to the Olympics last season, and he already has Matthew Boldy and Brock Faber on his roster. One of the stars of Team USA has been very forward about wanting a fresh start.
Dylan Larkin officially requested a trade a few weeks ago, and many expected him to be the first piece moved this offseason. However, after Brady Tkachuk, Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Bowen Byram were all traded, Larkin remains with the Red Wings. Steve Yzerman is not the type of GM to be pushed into a bad deal, but it appears the reason that Larkin hasn’t moved is that the pieces being offered haven’t interested him to the point of making a trade.
The Minnesota Wild have been busy, but the Dylan Larkin move eludes them
That includes the Wild, who are dealing with a lack of pieces after sending essentially four first-round picks to the Vancouver Canucks for Quinn Hughes. Wild owner Craig Leipold said earlier this week that he expects to re-sign Hughes to an extension soon, but that alone doesn’t make the Wild Cup contenders. They need an upgrade at center.
Larkin would be a perfect fit for what they are trying to do. Larkin hasn’t made the playoffs since his rookie season, and the Wild have been looking for a little desperation on the roster. They need something extra to get past the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars with consistency in the Central Division.
However, as reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan on the NHL Draft broadcast, the Wild’s offer didn’t make Red Wings decision makers “super happy.” That might seem obvious since the deal hasn’t gone through, but it’s also telling that someone relayed that information to Kaplan.
We shouldn’t speculate about what the Wild might have offered for Larkin, but we imagine it’s similar to the Panthers’ proposal for Tkachuk, which was three first-round picks and a second-round pick. Only issue here is there isn’t any certainty with any of those picks. The Senators knew that the 2026 pick was ninth overall. The Wild don’t have a 2026 first-round pick because of the Hughes trade. Is the replacement for that what’s causing the holdup?
We’ll see if the Wild pony up on Day 2 of the draft or if this saga is going to continue into the offseason. For now, Larkin remains with the Red Wings, and the Wild continue to have a hole at center.
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