The Minnesota Wild have emerged as the most active suitors for Dylan Larkin, but questions remain over whether general manager Bill Guerin possesses the right assets to complete a trade with the Detroit Red Wings.
News broke on Thursday that Larkin, a 30-year-old center and former Red Wings captain, will sit out until his trade request is fulfilled. Larkin holds a full no-movement clause and has ruled out all Canadian franchises. While Minnesota has pursued the forward aggressively, league sources indicate Detroit is viewing current trade proposals as unrealistic.
The Wild have reportedly dangled center Danila Yurov as a trade centerpiece, but that offer has not satisfied Detroit. Furthermore, with Larkin recording only two goals and six points through his first 10 games of the season, Minnesota sources report there is little appetite to sweeten their current offer given his slow start.
Addressing other potential trade assets, Wild sources emphatically ruled out moving young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. While rival executives have suggested Minnesota might need to part with major pieces in a win-now window, a Western Conference executive noted that Detroit already has goaltending depth in its pipeline with Trey Augustine.
To bridge the gap, trade discussions have turned toward potential three-team configurations. The Philadelphia Flyers have expressed willingness to act as a third-party broker to facilitate a deal between Minnesota and Detroit. The Flyers could potentially absorb the contract of Wild winger Yakov Trenin—carrying a $3.5-million AAV through next season—in exchange for prospect center Charlie Stramel.
With outside assistance potentially available, the primary obstacle remains finding common ground between Guerin and Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff on Larkin's overall value.
