The Minnesota Wild are trying to strike gold this offseasonin the form of another trade for a superstar player. Back in December, the Wild pulled off a blockbuster trade for defenseman Quinn Hughes. Now, they are seeking a top six forward, preferably a No. 1 center. The Wild may have missed out on Brady Tkachuk, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators, but they are still in the mix for Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings.
Larkin requested a trade from the Red Wings, and had the Wild as one of his three preferred teams on his wishlist. While that was all well and good for the Wild and general manager Bill Guerin, general manager Steve Yzerman isn't dealing Larkin for nothing short of an acceptable return, and he told the captain's agent, Pat Brisson, to expand his list of preferred landing spots. That was always a risk for the Wild, especially if a new team made a blow-away offer for Larkin.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos unveiled his latest trade board ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency. When talking about Larkin, Kypreos reports that he's heard Larkin's preferred destination was the Dallas Stars.
Dylan Larkin reportedly prefers trade to Wild rival Stars
"There is a strong push for Larkin to expand his list of teams he’s willing to go to. Yzerman will not move him if he feels he’s getting squeezed. Look for Yzerman's former assistant GM, Pat Verbeek, to try and get in on this. However, it appears Larkin's destination of choice is Dallas," writes Kypreos.
Talk about a nightmare scenario for the Wild. Not only would they miss out on Larkin, who should slot in as one of their top two centers, but they'd watch him join their division rivals. The same division rivals they had to battle tooth and nail in the first round to advance in the playoffs just a couple of months ago.
The Stars have a busy and stressful offseason ahead of them. Entering the new league year, the Stars have just $10 million in cap space, and they have to negotiate a new contract with forward Jason Robertson. Given how weak the free agency class is, there is a strong chance a team will sign him to an offer sheet, and the annual salary offered may be more than the Stars are willing to match. Considering Robertson could at least earn over $11.9 million per year in annual salary on his new contract, a team sending over an offer sheet would have to send the Stars four of their own first-round picks in exchange if they opt not to match.
Either way, the Stars will need to plan on freeing up cap space if they want to retain Robertson or pursue Larkin. Let's not forget that Larkin is set to count for $8.7 million against the cap annually through the 2030-31 season. Perhaps a way the Stars can do that is a trade with the Red Wings for Larkin?
If the Stars are to pull off a trade, it would be time for Guerin and the Wild to panic. If Larkin is off the board and not heading to Minnesota, the Wild would have to pivot. The next best option behind Larkin is Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers. Trocheck isn't a better player than Larkin, but he can produce offensively, win face-offs, and play on the penalty kill. The thing is, the Rangers have a high-asking price for Trocheck. If Trocheck is left for the Wild, then they may have no choice but to pay a bit of a premium for him, especially if they want to improve at center.
The last thing the Wild need is for the Stars to get better. From the sounds of it, it looks like the Red Wings are going to take their time before making a decision on trading Larkin. But now, the Wild have to keep an eye on the Stars.
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