It’s funny how things change in a hurry. Earlier this week, news leaked that the New Jersey Devils were on Dylan Larkin’s trade list. We were all speculating about how such a deal could happen and what the Red Wings could accept to make the deal work.
Then, news dropped on Friday about the Connor Hellebuyck trade. And while that’s not something that directly impacts the Red Wings, it does lead to the land of what-if. Specifically, that what-if entails what the Red Wings could have gotten for Larkin had they decided to make the deal happen with New Jersey.
As it stands now, it seems that the Larkin-to-New-Jersey ship has sailed. And it’s because the Devils spent their best pieces on Hellebuyck.
And it’s that return that makes you think that the Wings could have gotten the same pieces the Winnipeg Jets got.
The bottom line is that Devils GM Sunny Methta was big-game hunting, and he was willing to pay up to make a major deal happen.
Judging by the way things played out, the Red Wings missed an opportunity.
Red Wings could have gotten a truckload for Dylan Larkin
Now, we’re operating under the assumption here that the Red Wings would have gotten the return for Dylan Larkin as the Jets did for Hellebuyck.
That return starts with Dawson Mercer. Mercer is a 24-year-old former first-round pick. He was once believed to be a potential top-six forward. But that situation didn’t quite play out in New Jersey. Even at his best, Mercer wasn’t likely going to be the Larkin replacement that the Red Wings would have envisioned.
But Mercer would have looked pretty good playing with, say, Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond.
The Devils also surrendered a depth center in Nick Bjugstad. With the way things are going in Detroit, a guy like Bjugstad would have been solid depth down the middle. He could have moved up a little bit in the lineup, giving the Wings some cover in their bottom six.
Then, there’s Alexander Command. The 18-year-old was the Devils’ first-round pick in this year’s draft. There’s no real telling how well he could work out, but Command would have been another top forward prospect. He could have been part of a wave that would have followed Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper.
There was also a goalie in the deal. The Devils gave up Nico Daws to fulfill the Jets’ need for a goalie. Daws would not necessarily have been a part of a Dylan Larkin trade. The Red Wings aren’t desperate for a goalie right now. As such, the Wings could have pushed for another piece, like a defenseman, to help offset Simon Edvinsson’s absence.
Lastly, there are the two draft picks the Devils sent to Winnipeg. It’s curious that the Devils didn’t include a first-rounder. Still, two additional picks, whatever they could have been, could have turned into trade capital for Shawn Horcoff.
Looking at how things worked out in the end, the Red Wings missed an opportunity to cash in. Perhaps Horcoff was just late to the party. But by the looks of it, things were wide open until late Thursday night.
Perhaps this missed opportunity could serve the entire Red Wings organization as a wake-up call. The team cannot afford to let any more opportunities like this slip away.
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