Things may finally move in the Dylan Larkin saga for the Detroit Red Wings. With Shawn Horcoff taking over as the interim GM, it could be that the Minnesota Wild may be the escape hatch for the situation.
Unfortunately, the Wild are not the best path out of the conundrum. It’s the only path.
The prevailing chatter has suggested over the last few weeks that the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights are no longer truly interested in bringing Larkin in, especially for the price tag Steve Yzerman had originally set.
Both Florida and Vegas spent their cap space and trade capital elsewhere, really, only leaving Minnesota as the only of Larkin’s preferred destinations as a viable alternative.
The only issue here would be when the Wild could feel comfortable reengaging in talks. There’s no doubt that Horcoff will be eager to do something about the situation. But the broader question would be: Does Dylan Larkin even make sense for Minnesota anymore?
And even if the Wild could make a business case for Larkin, at what price point would he become reasonable?
Those questions will get some answers once Horcoff potentially resumes talks with Minnesota GM Bill Guerin. Perhaps they have already had a cursory conversation about the matter.
But unless the Red Wings are serious about playing nice, it might still be a while before anything really happens.
Minnesota Can Afford to Start the Larkin Talks All Over Again
There is little reason to believe the Wild wouldn’t have interest in Dylan Larkin.
Minnesota was reportedly one of the three teams Larkin identified as a preferred destination, and the connection makes sense. Larkin has relationships with several members of the Wild, including Quinn Hughes, while Minnesota GM Bill Guerin coached him with Team USA at the 2026 Olympics.
But that doesn’t mean Minnesota should simply accept whatever price Detroit was demanding earlier in the summer.
In fact, the Wild should probably start from scratch.
The Red Wings may have wanted a significant return when Steve Yzerman was still setting the terms. But the circumstances surrounding Larkin have changed. Detroit has a new interim GM, Larkin’s trade request has become a major storyline and the player himself has admitted the situation did not unfold the way he expected.
That gives Minnesota an opportunity to play hardball.
Why offer the original package if Detroit’s leverage has weakened?
The Wild can simply wait and see whether Horcoff eventually decides that moving Larkin is more important than maximizing the return.
And that’s the critical point.
Minnesota doesn’t have to make this deal.
Detroit does.
Red Wings May Eventually Have No Choice But to Take the Wild Offer
That’s where this could become uncomfortable for Horcoff.
The Red Wings can insist that Larkin is worth a significant return. They can argue that he’s a 30-year-old No. 1 center who scored a career-high 34 goals last season and remains under contract through 2030-31.
But none of that changes the market.
Larkin’s full no-trade clause means he controls his destination, and his original list was reportedly limited to Minnesota, Vegas and Florida.
If Florida and Vegas are genuinely out of the picture, Minnesota suddenly has enormous leverage.
And Detroit has a problem.
Horcoff has already said a rebuild is “out of the question,” meaning the organization still believes it is close to ending its 10-season playoff drought. Keeping Larkin around after he requested a trade doesn’t exactly make that situation easier.
At some point, the Red Wings may have to decide what matters more: getting the return they wanted for Larkin or simply getting the situation resolved.
If the Wild recognize that desperation, they can drive a hard bargain.
And that could make the eventual trade look terrible for Detroit.
Had the Red Wings moved Larkin earlier in the summer, before the saga became this complicated, Yzerman may have been able to extract a much stronger return.
Instead, Horcoff could inherit a situation where his best option is accepting whatever Minnesota reasonably offers.
That doesn’t mean the Wild will get Larkin for nothing.
It does mean Detroit may eventually have to accept far less than it originally wanted.
And unless Horcoff somehow turns the situation into an absolute haul, that would leave the Red Wings looking like they sold one of their most valuable assets at precisely the wrong time.
Wild May Have Become Dylan Larkin’s Only Choice