A new trade pitch aimed at the Detroit Red Wings would allow them to finally unload three-time All-Star Dylan Larkin three months after his trade request, bringing in nine-year veteran Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Washington Capitals as Larkin’s replacement.
The trade proposal created by a user on the roster-construction site PuckGM also brings in rookie left-shot center Ilya Protas and first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
The proposed swap would send Dubois’ $8.5 million cap hit and the five remaining years on his $68 million contract, Protas’ $933,000 entry-level deal and Washington’s own first-round picks in 2027 and 2028 back to the Red Wings for Larkin’s $8.7 million contract. Cap-wise, it is close to a wash. Detroit’s hit rises $733,000, Washington’s falls by the same amount.
Larkin, Detroit’s captain since 2021 until this month, was the 15th pick in the 2014 draft and has 643 points in 808 games across 11 seasons, all with the only organization he has known. He also helped Team USA win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, adding an Olympic title to a resume that already included World Junior and World Championship appearances. He signed an eight-year, $69.6 million extension on March 1, 2023, a deal running through 2030-31.
Dylan Larkin’s Trade Request Still Hangs Over Detroit
The suggested trade arrives amid a genuinely messy year in Hockeytown. Larkin’s agent informed the Red Wings his client wanted out shortly after last season, then followed up with a short list of teams he would waive his no-trade clause to join.
The Red Wings removed Steve Yzerman as general manager on July 15, promoted assistant GM Shawn Horcoff on an interim basis Sept. 15, and stripped Larkin of his captaincy on Sept. 11. Detroit missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season, finishing sixth in the Atlantic Division.
Dubois, 28, would head to Detroit after the Capitals acquired him from the Los Angeles Kings for goaltender Darcy Kuemper in 2024. The Columbus Blue Jackets took him third overall in 2016, and he signed an eight-year, $68 million deal of his own in June 2023, then posted 66 points last season with Washington, a career high. He has also won World Championship gold with Canada and carries 30 points in 53 career playoff games.
Protas, a 6-foot-6 center drafted 75th overall by Washington in 2024, just won the AHL’s rookie of the year award with Hershey and is already ticketed for the Capitals’ third-line job.
“I just have a hard time seeing at least to start the season who else goes into that spot,” Capitals general manager Chris Patrick said, as quoted by NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.
Red Wings Would Win This Trade By A Landslide
Detroit carries roughly $16.8 million in cap space for 2026-27, dwarfing Washington’s barely $125,000 in cap room. The Capitals finished 43-30-9, fourth in the Metropolitan Division, and also missed the postseason.
Dubois’ rebound season alone nearly matches Larkin’s production, and Protas brings size, skill and a rookie-of-the-year pedigree at a fraction of the cost. Add two first-rounders, and Detroit walks away with the far deeper return.
Red Wings Trade Pitch Finally Unloads Dylan Larkin, Landing $68 Million Center