On paper, Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings should be a perfect fit. A legendary franchise drafting a homegrown player, him starting at 19 years old, making the playoffs, losing to a Lightning team that was way ahead of the Wings' schedule in five games, taking those lumps and figuring out how to get further next time.
The problem? There hasn't been a next time. With the Sabres making the playoffs this season, the Red Wings, the American team with the most Stanley Cups — who play in Hockeytown, USA — now have the longest active playoff drought in the league at 10 years.
Larkin has been a captain for six of those years, occupying a space left vacant for two seasons after the retirement of Henrik Zetterberg. He was named captain Jan. 13, 2021, 635 days after THE Captain Steve Yzerman returned to Detroit after a wildly successful stint building the Lightning roster. The very Lightning roster that knocked the Wings out of the playoffs in Larkin's rookie year.
And yet, even as hope sprung eternal under the Yzerplan and results were promised with time, things continued to fizzle for the Red Wings. On March 1, 2023, Larkin signed an eight-year, $69.3 million extension which immediately preceded a 5-9-1 month. March went on to become a dreaded month for Wings fans, with Detroit going 3-9-2 in 2024, 4-10-0 in 2025, and finally 5-7-2 this past season.
After the latest Red Wings collapse, which was interrupted by a Team USA gold medal from a team Larkin made a huge impact on, things have boiled over. Larkin reportedly requested a trade June 4, throwing his Red Wings future into jeopardy. However, with a no-trade clause, Larkin has a lot of leverage over that trade Yzerman may not acquiesce to.
Here's a look at some possible destinations for Larkin, along with what could be required for Larkin in what may be Yzerman's biggest test yet as the embattled Red Wings GM.
Dylan Larkin possible trade destinations
Minnesota Wild
This is the deal that immediately makes the most sense.
It gets Larkin out of the Eastern Conference, the Wild are a team looking for a true 2C, it would put Larkin back with one of his USA teammates in Quinn Hughes, allow him to keep playing in a high-profile hub of hockey, give him a chance to win quickly, and the Wild have a GM in Bill Guerin who has proven in the past he's willing to be aggressive.
The question with this deal is if the Wild would be willing to offload another first-round pick after dropping 2026 to Vancouver for the Hughes trade. This is a team desperately looking to win now, and Larkin would be a boon at its weakest position. But the Wild need to find a package that keeps that win-now mentality intact while also outbidding other possible suitors (assuming Larkin doesn't demand Minnesota or bust). That's a big hurdle for Guerin.
Montreal Canadiens
The assumed immediate reaction from Habs fans to this idea is fair. "We're building for the future, we don't need a 30-year-old center behind Nick Suzuki."
However, if we learned nothing from the USA run in the Olympics, it's that Larkin is more than capable of thriving with the right core. The Canadiens had a tumultuous postseason, going to two straight Game 7s before getting shellacked by a rested Hurricanes team. Larkin certainly raises the average age of the Habs a hair, but this is a team built to win in the future that is perfectly capable of winning now. Trading for Larkin to bolster the top six is a win-now move.
This time, the problem is Yzerman. This year showed the Atlantic doesn't need any help strengthening itself, so Yzerman might not want to create a problem he has to continue to deal with. The package would have to be hefty. Perhaps too hefty for a team building what Montreal is building to consider.
Las Vegas Golden Knights
No trade list is complete without Vegas.
The Golden Knights will make offers on anyone available, and winning is undoubtedly a big factor for Larkin, making the no-trade clause less of an obstacle given Vegas is one of two teams still playing. Eichel-Larkin would be a potent 1-2 punch at center as well.
The Jack Eichel trade with Vegas helped to spur on a true Sabres rebuild. Maybe history repeats itself with another Atlantic team.
Columbus Blue Jackets
An ex-Michigan star waiving a no-trade clause to go to Columbus may feel sacrilege, but there's a lot for Larkin to like in Columbus. First and foremost is Zach Werenski, a close friend of Larkin's.
While the power of friendship may not be enough to send Larkin to Ohio, the Blue Jackets have been stuck in purgatory for some time now. If they want to make a splash, Larkin is certainly one way to make one. The Blue Jackets do, however, have a slight logjam at C. Adam Fantilli and Charlie Coyle make up 1 and 2C in Columbus. Acquiring Larkin probably kicks Adam Monahan back out to wing, should Columbus pull the trigger.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dylan Larkin trade request: Possible landing spots for Red Wings captain