The name Dylan Larkin is on top of the minds of two franchises (and for completely different reasons): the Detroit Red Wings and the Minnesota Wild.
After the initial fallout of the soon-to-be-former captain's request, Larkin's camp sent out a small list of teams he'd be interested in playing for: the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild. The Panthers spent the majority of their assets acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. The Golden Knights, as of right now, don't appear to have enough to trade for Larkin.
Thus, the onus falls upon the Wild to make their move.
On paper, it might appear as if Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is under the most pressure in this situation. After all, his franchise captain requested a trade and is only offering a short list of candidates he'd be willing to accept.
But, when you dig a little deeper, you quickly realize that the only person with actual pressure to make a move is Wild general manager Bill Guerin.
Guerin needs to build contender to keep Hughes happy
If this offseason has taught us anything, it's that members of the 2026 Team USA Olympic roster will leave underperforming teams the moment they have an opportunity. From Larkin's request to Brady Tkachuk's alleged unhappiness for years, the players on these rosters waste no time to seek greener pastures.
That's precisely why Guerin is under so much pressure.
After this season, Quinn Hughes is an unrestricted free agent. He'll have his pick of the litter in the NHL and an opportunity to play with his brothers Jack and Luke. In order to convince Hughes to stick with the Wild, Guerin has to do everything in his power to build a legitimate contender.
It goes without saying that the Wild have a great roster. From superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov to a defensive core of Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Hughes, the team is top-to-bottom stacked with talent.
The only thing they're missing is a legitimate top-line center.
This is where Larkin comes into play. He's got exactly what the Wild need to make it over the top. But, in order to acquire him, the Wild will need to part iwth much more than Danila Yurov, Charlie Stramel and a first round pick.
They'll need to think bigger. Much, much bigger.
Yzerman in no rush to get a deal done
Yzerman has stated in several interviews now that he's in no rush to finalize a trade if he isn't happy with the offer.
"Dylan has five years remaining on his contract," Yzerman said in his post draft press conference. "My job as the manager of the Detroit Red Wings is always to do what is in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings, and I will act accordingly to that. So I cannot make any guarantees, and I did not make any guarantees, that that request could or would be met."
If Larkin wants to be traded, one of two things need to happen:
- Larkin needs to expand his trade list to include multiple teams
- Guerin makes an offer Yzerman just can't refuse
As of right now, the former seems unlikely. The latter may involve getting a third team in the mix. But, with that said, what team would be willing to help the Wild? Would Yzerman be satisfied enough with the return to pull the trigger?
At this point in time, it appears as if Yzerman has the most leverage. The offseason is long and this likely could drag out for some time, but, sooner or later, Guerin (or Larkin) has to crack.
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