The Detroit Red Wings are being linked with a potential blockbuster trade this summer. This particular deal, however, does not necessarily involve Dylan Larkin. Detroit’s captain recently asked the club for a trade away from town. If the Red Wings are to honor this request, they will have a giant hole to fill in the middle of the ice.
Vancouver Province’s Ben Kuzma believes that Detroit will look to acquire Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks in the coming weeks. According to Kuzma, the Red Wings likely view Pettersson as a Larkin replacement. The reporter also believes that the rebuilding Canucks may have to eat a portion of the star center’s massive salary to facilitate a move. Pettersson previously signed an eight-year, $92.8 million contract ($11.6 million AAV) with Vancouver.
Money, however, will not necessarily be a significant problem for Detroit. According to Puckpedia.com, the Red Wings have $29 million in projected cap space. This figure would also substantially increase if Larkin is moved this summer. Detroit’s captain carries an annual cap hit of $8.7 million.
Kuzma also names the Los Angeles Kings as potential summer suitors of Pettersson. Like the Red Wings, the Kings need a quality center after Anze Kopitar’s retirement. Nevertheless, Detroit would seemingly have an advantage over L.A. due to its financial situation and superior prospect pool.
Detroit Red Wings Have Been Linked With Elias Pettersson Before
GettyElias Pettersson would only be considered if the Detroit Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin.
Pettersson’s future in Vancouver has received plenty of attention in recent months. The star previously proclaimed that he is willing to remain with the club during its rebuild. The Canucks were the worst team in the NHL during the 2025-26 season, and a rebound up the standings will almost certainly take a few years.
Despite this, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recently reported that every Vancouver player is “available at the right price” this summer. The Canucks potentially being interested in offloading Pettersson’s massive contract would make sense. Paying a player such a massive salary without any real playoff chances is not exactly financially sound.
This is also not the first time that the Detroit Red Wings have been linked with Pettersson. It was revealed in March that Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman was eyeing the star center ahead of the trade deadline. Although a move never materialized at the time, there appears to be lingering interest in the player.
Detroit Exec Not Eyeing a Full Rebuild
Potentially bringing in Pettersson would be a fairly risky move by the Detroit Red Wings. While Vancouver was terrible this past season, the center only managed to rack up 51 points in 74 games on the campaign. Combining the lackluster statistics with his massive salary could be problematic. Pettersson, however, just grabbed 102 points just a few years ago.
It has also been reported that Yzerman does not necessarily want to endure a full rebuild. Replacing Larkin with young prospects is not the exec’s preferred choice. Detroit’s recent moves to acquire veterans Justin Faulk and David Perron show that Yzerman is in win-now mode. This makes a potential deal for Pettersson, or another star center, appear like a much more likely scenario for the Red Wings.
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