The Minnesota Wild needed a center this offseason, and they received a gift in the form of one trade request. Last Thursday, reports indicated that Dylan Larkin officially requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, stemming from frustration with the team over missing the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons and with general manager Steve Yzerman. The Wild emerged as an immediate fit for Larkin, and a recent report from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press indicated that the Wild were one of three teams that Larkin wants to be traded to. The other two teams are the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.
Larkin does hold the cards in terms of where he wants to be traded to, but Yzerman won't trade him for nothing, so he can hold things up. Based on some new comments from Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Wild and general manager Bill Guerin are working to acquire Larkin.
During the recent episode of 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman revealed that the Wild, along with the Panthers, are believed to have already submitted an offer to the Red Wings for Larkin.
Elliotte Friedman believes Wild have made trade offer to Red Wings for Dylan Larkin
"At the beginning of Quinn Hughes' thing, he didn't think he was going to Minnesota, and he got talked into Minnesota. So I think that's kind of important to recognize here. People can be talked into things. I already think that Guerin's history, and he talked about it when he traded for Hughes, go in hot, make your best offer. I think he probably has already, and I suspect Florida has too," said Friedman. "And now, it's just a matter of, okay, is it what Yzerman likes, or does he say 'sorry, that's just not good enough?' But I do think teams have started to make offers."
Friedman does bring up the point that before acquiring Quinn Hughes, the defenseman didn't really have intention on being traded to Minnesota. But that ultimately took some convincing, and he accepted a deal from the Vancouver Canucks to the Wild. Now, Hughes enters an offseason where he sounds open to signing a contract extension with the Wild.
It's important to note that Hughes and Larkin share the same agent, Pat Brisson. Not to mention, Hughes and Larkin were on Team USA, where they won the gold medal in men's ice hockey in this year's Winter Olympics. So, who knows, maybe Hughes put in a good word for Larkin.
As for what the Wild could offer, Friedman revealed during a previous episode of 32 Thoughts that he believed forward prospect Charlie Stramel and winger Danila Yurov "and potentially more" would be the offer Guerin sends Yzerman's way. Goalie Jesper Wallstedt may be an option to include as well, as ESPN's Greg Wyshynski mentioned that the Wild included him and Yurov in a trade deadline offer to the St. Louis Blues for center Robert Thomas.
Again, while Larkin may want to get dealt to the Wild, it's up to Yzerman to finalize the trade. It doesn't sound like he'll trade his captain away on an offer he doesn't seem adequate enough for him. There's also the possibility that Larkin is asked to expand his trade destination wishlist if Yzerman doesn't like the offers the Wild, Panthers, and Golden Knights send his way.
But as of now, Friedman reveals that the Wild have sent their official trade offer to the Red Wings.
