Although a recent report about Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings stopped the trade buzz in its tracks, the prevailing sentiment around the NHL is that Larkin will be traded. Soon? Late? That’s up for debate, but even the Red Wings have confirmed that Larkin’s trade seems imminent.
Larkin has recently updated his trade list, shutting down the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers, who didn’t make the 10-team cut. The Minnesota Wild remain among Larkin’s preferred—and only—options, but he may not be headed to the Land of 10,000 Lakes after all.
Larkin’s wish to play alongside Quinn Hughes has been reported countless times, but with Hughes’ future in the Twin Cities in doubt, Larkin could actually head to the New Jersey Devils and end up playing with two Hughes brothers, with the older, third sibling potentially arriving in the not-so-distant future.
“Instead of going to Minnesota, where [Quinn] Hughes is, what if [Dylan Larkin] goes to New Jersey where Hughes is going to go?,” Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings.
Devils could be biggest winners
New Jersey has a lot on the line. Landing Larkin would secure the Devils a golden ticket to becoming an apex predator in the NHL. On the one hand, Larkin would bolster the team’s top six and provide much-needed depth.
On the other hand, he would also provide one more reason for Hughes (Quinn) to want to join the squad in New Jersey. Make no mistake, Jack and Luke are still the biggest motivators behind Quinn’s interest in the Devils, but if Larkin joins as well, there may be no doubts left for the former Norris Trophy winner.
Acquiring Larkin could open the floodgates for the Devils, and it may only be the start of a golden era for the organization, led by a group of U.S. Olympic gold medalists.
Wild could be biggest losers
Just as New Jersey would be the biggest winner, there’s no doubt Minnesota would become the biggest loser in such a scenario. The Wild gave up a lot to trade for Hughes last year and may not even get a chance to re-sign the star blueliner.
Moreover, if they fail to land Larkin, who hasn’t kept his desire to join the Wild much of a secret and has waited for them for a long time, it would be all the more crushing. Minnesota’s need for a top-line center would remain unaddressed, Hughes may head for the exits, leaving a void on the blue line, and Kirill Kaprizov’s Conn Smythe-favorite start to the 2026-27 NHL season may be sent down the drain.
The stakes are high as Larkin’s trade saga in Detroit reaches a boiling point, and the Devils and Wild appear to be the main players at the table, ready to go all in. But only one of them—if even one—can come away victorious.
Key takeaways
- Dylan Larkin excluded the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers from his updated 10-team trade list.
- Elliotte Friedman reported speculation that Dylan Larkin could join the New Jersey Devils alongside Quinn Hughes.
- Minnesota Wild traded significant assets for Quinn Hughes last year but risk losing him to New Jersey.
