The Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars could still have a late-summer whopper in them. The two clubs find themselves in limbo with two major players uncertain about their future moving forward.
And that’s why the trade thesis presented by David Pagnotta could make a ton of sense. In his July 11 column in the Fourth Period, Pagnotta discussed the possibility of a massive Red Wings-Stars trade involving Dylan Larkin and Jason Robertson as the two main pieces of the deal.
“The Stars are believed to be willing to move restricted free agent sniper Jason Robertson to Detroit for Larkin, but such a move would require additional pieces involved and that has resulted in multiple hurdles, including whether Robertson would sign a long-term extension with Detroit, where he spends part of his off-season.”
Per Pagnotta, the Red Wings’ initial ask was Wyatt Johnston. However, the Stars balked at the idea. That statement fits with the narrative that Detroit and Dallas had a deal in place leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft.
The trade fell through, with both Robertson and Larkin hanging in the balance. As such, it seems that both sides could be circling back to this deal, and it could include other moving parts. One name floating around is Alex DeBrincat.
Nevertheless, the idea of Larkin and DeBrincat in a deal for Robertson would require something substantial from the Stars. Since Dallas wouldn’t have the cap space to fit both, the Stars would need to shed some more salary.
Clock Ticking on Red Wings-Stars Deal
On the surface, there might not be much of a hurry to get a deal done. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking.
Earlier this summer, Robertson filed for arbitration. The date for the hearing is July 25. That’s about 10 days away, giving the Stars and the Red Wings a firm deadline. If they can’t get a deal done by then, Dallas and Robertson would be heading to the hearing.
And there’s no telling what could emerge from that hearing. If anything, it could lead to a contentious gearing that neither side wants to happen.
That’s why, if there were a timeline attached to this Red Wings-Stars deal, it would be the next week or so. If a trade can’t happen, the Red Wings might have to wait to see what happens following the arbitration ruling.
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1-for-1 Trade Could Still Be on the Table
In the worst of cases, the Red Wings and Stars may agree to a 1-for-1 deal. In other words, a Larkin-for-Robertson trade straight up could alleviate the pressure on both organizations.
While the trade would wipe the board of two problematic situations for the clubs, it wouldn’t solve the teams’ overall needs. The Red Wings would have a giant hole in their 1C slot, while the Stars would lose 40 goals.
There is a chance, nonetheless, that a straight-up deal never happens. The Red Wings stand to lose a lot more in the long run. And that could be the hold-up. Detroit could be expecting the Stars to throw a little something else into the mix.
Ultimately, it looks like the rest of the summer could be intriguing, as there are some megadeals to keep an eye on.
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