The Detroit Red Wings have a major headache to deal with this summer. Club captain Dylan Larkin recently asked for a trade away from Detroit. The star center has spent his entire NHL career with the Red Wings and has averaged nearly 71 points per season over the last five campaigns. Larkin currently has five more years remaining on his $8.7 million AAV contract.
Because of a no-trade clause in his deal with Detroit, Larkin has significant control in the situation. He has even handed Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman a list of three teams where he would like to go next. This short list includes the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, and Florida Panthers. All three teams would certainly love to acquire such a star player.
Nevertheless, links between Larkin and Vegas are seemingly gaining steam. The Athletic’s Chris Johnston recently included the Detroit center in his list of top NHL trade candidates this offseason. The insider specifically mentioned the Golden Knights in the article. According to Johnston, Vegas “could be lurking in the weeds” in a pursuit of Larkin.
Bleacher Report’s Sara Civian also linked the Red Wings star with the Golden Knights on June 30. In fact, Civian is predicting that Vegas will ultimately land Larkin sometime this summer. As the reporter points out, the Golden Knights are no strangers to making major moves in the trade market. The club has previously landed proven stars such as Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, and, technically, Mitch Marner.
Detroit Red Wings Want NHL-Ready Players Back in Dylan Larkin Deal
GettyDylan Larkin appears set to walk out on the Detroit Red Wings.
The biggest issue for Vegas is undoubtedly their financial situation. According to Puckpedia.com, the Golden Knights have just under $5 million projected cap space. They also have several roster holes that need to be filled soon. Vegas, however, is expected to try to offload multiple high-priced players. This list could very well include Alex Pietrangelo and his $8.8 million AAV salary.
The Golden Knights could also look to include Hertl in a deal with the Detroit Red Wings for Larkin. The fellow veteran center only earns slightly less money than Larkin ($8.1 million AAV). It remains to be seen if Yzerman and the Red Wings are willing to take on Hertl’s contract, though. Detroit is, however, eyeing NHL-ready players in a deal involving their star center.
This is a particularly notable piece of information as the Wild would likely prefer to center a trade around prospects and draft picks. The Athletic’s Michael Russo even feels as if Minnesota needs a third team to get involved in the Larkin sweepstakes. Florida, on the other hand, has even less money to work with than Vegas.
Detroit Cannot Let Trade Speculation Linger Too Long
Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings can be patient, as the 2026 NHL offseason only just began. Nevertheless, Detroit Free Press reporter Carlos Monarrez has warned the Detroit exec not to let the situation drag on into the 2026-27 season. Yzerman recently proclaimed that he cannot guarantee a trade involving Larkin.
The Red Wings GM is likely playing hardball, essentially making other teams meet his demands. Yet as Monarrez points out, having Larkin on the opening night roster, and potentially stripping his captaincy, would be a nightmare for Detroit. It certainly still seems likely that the center will be moved in the coming weeks.
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