Dylan Larkin likes three trade destinations. But which others would make sense?
What a doozie. Approaching an NHL offseason in which the unrestricted free agent market looks positively arid, a big-name player requesting a trade is incredibly welcome news. Enter Dylan Larkin. The Detroit Red Wings captain has 11 NHL seasons under his belt, with only his rookie year of 2015-16 yielding a playoff berth. Evidently, 10 consecutive playoff misses, the NHL’s longest active drought, have worn on Larkin to the point he wants a change.
At 29, he’s still in his late prime and one of the fastest skaters in league history. He has scored at least 30 goals five seasons in a row. He’s a first-line center who can play 20 minutes a game and is strong on faceoffs. In other words: the lineup to acquire him will snake out the door and around the block.
That said, the trade won’t necessarily be easy to execute. It’s not as if the Wings are holding a fire sale looking for futures. They’re desperate to contend in the present, so GM Steve Yzerman may have interest in a hockey trade rather than a package of picks and prospects. Then again, teams in the market for Larkin are more likely to be contenders who won’t want to pluck core players from their active rosters, so the Wings may have no choice but to take a step backward to go forward later.
Making the situation more challenging? Larkin has a full no-trade clause and, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Larkin’s list of teams to which he’d accept a trade is only three deep.
It’s not necessarily a slam dunk that those teams can figure out the perfect trade package for Larkin, so don’t be surprised if the list expands in the coming weeks. Which teams are the best fits?
Let’s start by sorting through the places Larkin reportedly wants to go, then look at some alternative options.
TIER 1: Teams reportedly on Larkin’s list
Florida Panthers
The Panthers are poised for a major bounceback season in 2026-27 after injuries robbed them of their chance to three-peat as Stanley Cup champs this year. They have more than $15 million in cap space, and most of their pending UFA skaters play lower in the lineup. Adding Larkin’s AAV might mean saying goodbye to UFA goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and searching for a more cost-effective replacement, but Larkin might be worth it. Then again: the Panthers don’t look asset-rich enough to make a compelling offer for Larkin unless they’re willing to, gulp, surrender Anton Lundell.
Minnesota Wild
The flashing-neon-sign-while-screaming-into-a-megaphone-pick is Minnesota. Larkin already has a relationship with Wild GM Bill Guerin, who named him to Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026 Olympic squads, with Larkin playing a big part on both teams and helping the Americans win their first gold in men’s hockey since 1980. The Wild also check the box of being a Midwestern destination for the Michigan-born Larkin while also not being a Wings division rival – and Larkin is good friends with Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes to boot. Even after paying up for Hughes earlier this season, the Wild have enough assets to build a decent Larkin offer. Would something involving, say, prospect Charlie Stramel plus Ryan Hartman to balance the money and give Detroit veteran help get it done?
Vegas Golden Knights
The thought of the Evil Empire landing yet another shiny toy is somewhat nauseating for 31 other fan bases. It’s difficult to understand how Larkin’s money would fit in a payroll so maxed out that Vegas already faces the possibility of choosing between RFA Pavel Dorofeyev and UFA Rasmus Andersson. But we can never count this franchise out. They’ve pulled plenty of shocking salary-cap feats before. If they could send Tomas Hertl the other way, for instance…maybe? Still, the difficulty on paper of a Vegas transaction highlights why Larkin should expand his list. So let’s move on to some more possible fits…
TIER 2: Theoretical fits that aren’t on Larkin’s list
Boston Bruins
The Bruins corrected course after a playoff miss and remain in somewhat of a win-now window given core players such as right winger David Pastrnak, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goaltender Jeremy Swayman are signed long term and in their primes. The Bruins also have a few center options they could attach with futures to help Detroit paper over its hole at center, from Pavel Zacha to Elias Lindholm to Casey Mittelstadt. None is as good as Larkin, but any of those three would at least work as a stopgap in conjunction with whatever picks or prospects Boston could attach to an offer.
Los Angeles Kings
Anze Kopitar has retired, the Kings badly need a new No. 1 center to take some pressure off Quinton Byfield, and Larkin’s $8.7-million cap hit is highly affordable in a $104-million cap universe, which matters for an L.A. team with a modest $18.3 million to work with and RFA blueliner Brandt Clarke to re-sign. The problem: the Kings parted with their top prospect, Liam Greentree, in their winter trade for Artemi Panarin already. Do they have sufficient assets to make a serious Larkin offer? And if you’re Yzerman, wouldn’t you just ask for Byfield back in a trade? That would defeat the purpose of L.A. upgrading at center, though.
Montreal Canadiens
The Habs enjoyed an excellent 2025-26 playoff run and continue trending toward top-tier contender status, but their lack of a true No. 2 center was glaring in their Eastern Conference Final loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was the one position they needed to fill at the Trade Deadline, but they couldn’t with Patrik Laine’s $8.7-million cap hit hamstringing them. Is Montreal ready enough to go all-in that it would part with top center prospect Michael Hage, who is playing another year at Michigan? On the other hand, as is the case with Boston, would Yzerman want to deal his longtime captain to an Atlantic Division rival?
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are an intriguing suitor because they have several players they could dangle who are established NHLers but also young enough to possess upside. A Matvei Michkov or Owen Tippett might pique Yzerman’s interest, though Detroit ideally needs a center rather than a winger coming back their way. Still, if Detroit wants to take a big swing, it could kick the tires on a potential Michkov change of scenery and seek another avenue to improve at center. The Flyers aren’t shopping Michkov, but they pretty clearly don’t consider him untouchable based on conversations DFO’s Anthony Di Marco has had with team sources.
San Jose Sharks
Are the Sharks feeling anxious to accelerate their rebuild? They could try several different ideas to land Larkin, including dangling the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 Draft, constructing a deal around Michael Misa or something else. San Jose is a strong trade partner if Detroit is willing to take a futures-heavy deal but not as good of a fit should Yzerman demand win-now assets.
Utah Mammoth
The Mammoth already have two excellent centers in Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley. But championship teams tend to roll three great lines nowadays, and the Mammoth have more than enough young assets that they could make an aggressive play to take over the Central Division. From Caleb Desnoyers to Tij Iginla to Cole Beaudoin, Utah has plenty of high-end prospects to tempt the Red Wings in a deal should they accept the idea that the best offer for Larkin will skew more towards youth. Would Larkin vault Utah into Colorado territory as the division’s top contender?
Winnipeg Jets
An aging Jonathan Toews coming off a multi-year layoff from a serious health problem was obviously not the answer to Winnipeg’s No. 2 center problem. Larkin would be an absolute dream fit, however. It remains to be seen if he’d be willing to waive his NTC to join a market not known to attract many players, but the Jets do have some of Larkin’s Team USA brethren in goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and left winger Kyle Connor, the latter of whom was Larkin’s teammate at Michigan and even before that in AAA hockey. Could Connor convince his good buddy to join up and help Winnipeg try to recapture its 2024-25 Presidents’ Trophy form? Doing so would likely require a pricey sacrifice such as Cole Perfetti. But given the Jets’ core, including Hellebuyck, Connor, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey, is comprised of players 30 and older, the time to push is now.
Honorable mentions
Dallas Stars – Mentioned by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman as a team to watch. The desperation to break through is there, but it only makes sense if they’re at a true contract impasse with RFA Jason Robertson. Dallas is already deep enough at center, though, and moving out ‘Robo’ would create a hole on the wing. I don’t quite buy this one.
Tampa Bay Lightning – The desire would be there, but do the Bolts actually have the assets to make this work? They would likely have to send Brayden Point the other way. He has a full-NMC; I can’t see him waiving to join a team with a 10-year playoff drought.
_____
POST SPONSORED BY bet365
_____
Recently by Matt Larkin
- Five candidates for change-of-scenery trades in 2026 NHL offseason
Top 50 NHL UFAs of 2026: Boone Jenner now the No. 1 center in a bone-dry market - The Leafs need puck-moving defensemen. Here are some they could target
- Here’s what a hockey World Cup would look like in a 48-team FIFA format
- 10 NHL players who could be cap-casualty trade fodder this offseason