A massive NHL trade may have ramifications for a Detroit Red Wings star.
The Winnipeg Jets traded goalie Connor Hellebuyck to the New Jersey Devils for a package of players and picks on Friday, Oct. 23, in the biggest trade so far of the NHL season. Hellebuyck, a gold-medal winner with Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics, is considered by many to be the best goalie in the league.
So, where do the Red Wings and Dylan Larkin fit into all of this?
Larkin has had an ongoing trade request from the team since June, something the Red Wings are under no obligation to honor with Larkin under contract for the next five seasons. However, according to The Athletics' Pierre LeBrun, the Hellebuyck trade may clear up a couple of options for Larkin.
Minnesota the top contender?
In an article
published on Friday, Oct. 23, LeBrun says that the Wild have been pursuing a deal for Larkin for months.
"No team has made more trade offers to Detroit over the past few months than Minnesota, according to league sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private negotiations," he wrote.
Larkin and the Wild seem to have mutual interest in an acquisition, with Larkin including the Wild on his initial list of three preferred trade destinations, along with the Florida Panthers and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Wild are also looking to upgrade their front line after finishing the 2024-25 season with 104 regular season points but bowing out in the first round of the playoffs to Vegas.
Larkin may also want to join the Wild to reunite with fellow American star Jack Hughes, who won a gold medal with Larkin and Hellebuyck in Italy this winter, while the Wild may want to land Larkin to convince Hughes to sign a long-term extension in Minnesota. However, last year's trade that brought Hughes to Minnesota from the Vancouver Canucks may be what is holding up a trade between the Red Wings and Wild, according to LeBrun.
"... after nearly emptying the cupboards last December in the Hughes blockbuster with Vancouver, it’s been difficult to find a combination package that works for the Red Wings," he wrote. "It certainly hasn’t been for a lack of trying, though."
And with the Red Wings searching for a package that includes a star forward to immediately replace Larkin, the Wild (or any of the teams on Larkin's original list) may not be able to put together a package Detroit finds acceptable. But that doesn't mean Detroit is out of options when it comes to finding a new destination for Larkin.
Could Montreal sneak in?
As reported by our Red Wings insider Helene St. James, Larkin has recently expanded his trade list to 10 teams, which includes his original three along with other contenders like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning (the list also included the Devils, who may no longer have a package available after trading for Hellebuyck). And to the disappointment of many a Quebecois, the list does not include the Montreal Canadiens.
Habs fans have made their desire for Larkin clear, chanting "We want Larkin!" in a shootout win over the Red Wings in Montreal on Oct. 10. The Canadiens could also use a top-line scorer like Larkin as they currently sit one point behind the Wings in the Atlantic Division.
Though Larkin did not include the Canadiens on his list of 10 teams (or any Canadian team, for that matter), LeBrun wrote that the Red Wings have been "doing their due diligence" around the Canadiens in case Larkin becomes more open to a trade north of the border.
"Detroit is fully aware of the kind of packages the Canadiens aggressively put in front of Toronto last season at the deadline for Matthew Knies and in front of Columbus last month for Kirill Marchenko," he wrote. "The Wild make the most sense if both teams could ever find the right combination. But if you’re Detroit, you’re probably hoping Montreal enters the mix as an official option because there are more attractive assets to mine in that organization."
We're still within the "seven to 10-day" window that ESPN's John Buccigross brought up when he said the Red Wings would trade Larkin soon, and the Hellebuyck trade might accelerate negotiations. At least that's what LeBrun is sensing.
"Larkin’s camp, led by agents Pat Brisson and Matt Williams, wants things to move ahead more urgently on the trade front," he wrote. "So I think there’s a bit of pressure coming from them on Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff."
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How massive Connor Hellebuyck deal might have impact on Red Wings, Dylan Larkin
