The Detroit Red Wings are in a bit of a pickle with Dylan Larkin. They recently suspended him after he told the team he was done playing for them. However, a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs could solve their Larkin problem. This proposal would send Larkin to Toronto with their offensive dynamo on the back end, Morgan Rielly coming back to Detroit in a three-player swap.
This trade proposal would resolve the Larkin standoff, add a forward that the Red Wings can inject into the lineup, and acquire an offensive-minded replacement for Simon Edvinsson.
The proposal, published on the PuckGM page of PuckPedia, sends Rielly and Miles Wood to the Red Wings in exchange for Dylan Larkin.
By trading away Larkin and adding Rielly and Wood, the Red Wings gain $1.3 million in salary.
Why the Detroit Red Wings Would Make This Trade
From the Red Wings’ perspective, this trade makes sense for a couple of reasons.
For starters, adding Rielly to their defense would give them a legitimate powerplay threat. Rielly has had a lot of success in Toronto quarterbacking their powerplay over the years.
Adding Rielly would also ease the burden on their workhorse, Moritz Seider. The 32-year-old has seen a decline of over two minutes in ice time from last year.
In 2025-26, Rielly averaged 21:08 in ice time. So far this year, he has recorded 12 assists while playing 18:46 per night. The last time that Rielly played less than 20 minutes a night was during his rookie year, when he averaged 17:38 in ice time.
Additionally, Rielly has popped up on a few trade boards this year.
“The only reason Rielly is still a Maple Leaf is because they couldn’t find one team with interest, all summer long. With his trade value flat-lined and his cap hit just too high for what he brings, the only hope is that he rehabilitates his status as a top-four defenceman in the early going,” Nick Kypreos wrote.
As for Wood, he would be a nice addition to the Red Wings forward group. He plays the kind of hockey that is typical of a middle-six forward.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Would Make This Trade
The Maple Leafs would love to get their hands on a guy like Larkin.
This trade proposal is a classic “problem for problem” trade, although each player presents a different problem for their respective clubs.
Larkin would give the Maple Leafs another top six center, which would give them the flexibility to move Auston Matthews to the wing, making John Tavares their second-line center.
They could also make Larkin the second-line center and move Tavares to the wing.
Or do something really bonkers, like include Tavares in a trade for a defender to replace Rielly. If the Maple Leafs are serious about Roman Josi, they would have a pile of forwards that could be included in a package for the minute-muncher defender.
Of course, the biggest hurdle in this kind of deal getting done is that Toronto is not on Larkin’s list…yet.
The longer the standoff continues, the more money Larkin loses out on. That puts the pressure on the player to open up his list and accept a trade to more teams.
Until that happens, this trade pitch can be a dream for Maple Leafs fans and Red Wings fans alike.
Red Wings Trade Pitch Lands $60 Million Maple Leafs Player For Dylan Larkin