Shortly after Larkin admitted he had no regrets about requesting a trade out of Detroit during his first press conference since the end of the 2025-26 NHL season, McLellan voiced a statement of his own. Though McLellan admitted he and the Red Wings will still welcome the former captain, he dropped a subtle warning reminding Larkin of his obligations.

“Who wouldn’t want Dylan Larkin on their team? He made a commitment to the team signing a contract,” McLellan said, via Helene St. James of Detroit Free Press. “We made a commitment to him to provide an opportunity to play and that’s where we’re at right now.”

McLellan reminds Larkin he’s under contract

Although the timing of Larkin’s recent injury raised eyebrows ahead of training camp, the former Red Wings captain made his intentions clear: to be with the team during the NHL preseason. Regardless, just in case, McLellan made sure to remind Larkin that he made a commitment to Detroit and must stick to it.

For the time being, the 30-year-old homegrown center is holding up his end of the bargain. Though not healthy enough to participate, Larkin did report to Day 1 of training camp. Larkin would have been subject to a team suspension otherwise, like Connor Hellebuyck was after he failed to report to the Winnipeg Jets’ training camp. Curiously enough, both were teammates on Team USA’s gold-medal Olympic team. Still, Larkin said that experience had nothing to do with his desire to leave the Red Wings.

In the meantime, fans remain wary of Larkin’s untimely—or timely—setback. If Larkin is indeed using it as a thinly veiled way to avoid participating in team activities, it could backfire tremendously. Larkin did urge Red Wings fans to reconsider before booing him on home ice, but at some point, Larkin will have to face the music. And it’s trending toward an ugly melody. As for how McLellan and his teammates will treat Larkin, he may have no reason to fret.

McLellan will use Larkin for as long as he has him

Whether he’s upset at Larkin for the troublesome spotlight he’s brought upon the Red Wings or not remains unknown. What’s clear, though, is that McLellan still sees the great qualities in Larkin’s game. As long as he’s available to the head coach, McLellan will utilize Larkin in a big role. That was all but confirmed when McLellan stated: “Who wouldn’t want Dylan Larkin on their team?”

McLellan plans to play Larkin as long as he is still around Motor City. Whether Larkin actually is fit to play, though, that’s a different question. As things stand, it’s the million-dollar question in town, along with whether the trade request is still standing or not. After Larkin’s press conference, neither has been answered, and nobody knows when Larkin will become available to the media again.

With the trade request stuck in quicksand, the former captain is expected to start the 2026-27 NHL season in Detroit—and to be greeted with a hostile reception. Even if Larkin accepts that fans have a right to make themselves heard and show their disapproval, the former captain wants the fanbase to realize the jeering could also become a distraction for the rest of the team. By trying to put Larkin on notice, the fans could end up costing the Red Wings as a whole.

“I can’t really control [how the fans treat me]. Obviously, they’re passionate fans. There’s frustration there. I’m frustrated as well,” Dylan Larkin admitted, via Brad Galli on X. “I just hope that, there’s 22 other guys in the room. It’s about them as well, not just about one guy. We’re going to move on.”

Larkin’s press conference didn’t help him much

There was a lot of pressure on Larkin—whose latest injury update raised eyebrows ahead of training camp—as he addressed the media in Detroit for the first time since he asked out of the organization. Looking for answers, fans were disappointed to learn Larkin would tiptoe around the thin ice and not really clear up the air. Asked whether the trade request is still standing, Larkin kept his cards close to his vest.

“I’m going to keep that between Shawn (Horcoff) and I,” Larkin answered a question on whether there’s any chance of reconciliation. “I’m going keep that to myself. The request originally was not meant to get out. It did. We’re here today. I learned from that experience.”

Fans are still upset with Larkin, and most didn’t like the fact that he didn’t really provide clear answers about his future. All the buzz surrounding the former captain remains unresolved, and reports will only continue to grow wilder and wilder entering the 2026-27 NHL season.

Larkin and Red Wings’ fans remain apart

Larkin hopes his public appearance helps his case and serves as a way to repair his relationship with the fans and the team. Many believe it’s beyond repair, but Larkin is holding on to a sliver of hope. For the time being, only he knows if he wants to stay in Motor City or not. Even if he does, though, he will have to earn his way back into the fans’ hearts, which by now appear to be shut, locked, and under safe.

Regardless, Larkin remains confident about where he stands and even admitted that being stripped of his captain role may be a good thing for him and his NHL career. “I’m excited to be a part of this team and, you know, back at the bottom of the totem pole, which is maybe kind of nice,” Larkin said, per Detroit Free Press.

Being back at the bottom of the totem pole may be an enriching experience for Larkin, but at some point, he must ask himself if throwing everything he had built in Mo-Town away was worth it. Based on the fans’ reactions, it appears it was not. Perhaps Larkin will only take full consciousness the first night he’s greeted with a rain of boos at Little Caesars Arena.

“Um, no [no part of me regrets how it turned out]. I asked for a trade I don’t regret. I haven’t thought about it, but I would say no,” Larkin said during his first media appearance since asking for a trade out of the organization.

If one thing was made clear after Larkin’s first public address about the dramatic situation, it’s that he hasn’t been enjoying it. He had trouble finding the right words, and it looked like the whole episode over the summer had weighed on him.

Whether fans in Detroit want to believe him or not, that’s a different story. Each fan is entitled to their opinion, but it doesn’t look like Larkin has been going through the best of times with the whole trade saga hanging over his head.

Larkin accepts being stripped of captaincy

After months of uncertainty, the news was finally confirmed. It was speculated and, quite frankly, considered the correct and only move, but until it was made official, it was right to wonder: Would Larkin remain captain? The answer was, obviously, no.

“It was discussed with the organization. I understand it. I asked for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings as the captain. Actions have consequences,” Larkin admitted to reporters, via Detroit Free Press. “I understand why that decision was made. I’m going to be professional about it.“

What will happen next?

Still, a couple of questions remain unanswered. What will happen next? Will the Red Wings go captainless into the 2026-27 NHL season? Or will the report naming Moritz Seider as Larkin’s captain successor be proven right? Only time will tell. For the time being, Larkin understands why the decision was made.

Had he been traded, Larkin would’ve stopped being team captain, so it’s safe to assume he had already considered that before requesting a trade. Larkin reiterated time and again that it wasn’t a decision made in the heat of the moment, so it’s only logical to assume he weighed that aspect, too.

“Shawn Horcoff said Dylan Larkin sustained an upper-body injury training and will not be skating when camp begins,” as reported by Max Bultman of The Athletic.

The update raised eyebrows. While it was believed the Red Wings could’ve upset Larkin by naming Horcoff interim general manager, potentially leading to him holding out from training camp, this was surely a surprising revelation.

It only adds another layer to what has been the storyline of the summer in the NHL. Come fall, the drama in Detroit remains unresolved, and it has now added insult to injury, or rather, the other way around.

Fans react to Larkin’s injury

It didn’t take a genius to predict the reaction from Red Wings fans to Larkin’s news. Almost instinctively, most pointed at Larkin and called him a liar with practically not-even-thinly-veiled messages.

“Injured feelings most likely,” “Is there any league discipline for lying about a player injury as a cover up?”, “I guess the ego is part of the upper body,” and “Well, ain’t it convenient…” were some of the replies from fans to the news of Larkin’s setback right before training camp (Sept. 17).

It’s clear the relationship between the former homegrown captain and the fanbase in Motor City is broken and, quite frankly, beyond repair. Both have gone past the point of no return a long time ago. Now, it’s only a matter of time before the divorce is consummated.

How could Larkin even play for the Red Wings?

In the meantime, however, it will all lead to a rowdy, grueling, noisy standoff. It makes one wonder how long Larkin will be able to take such hostility from his own fans, or rather, those who once cheered for him and no longer do, even if he dons a Winged Wheel on his chest. Perhaps it’s Detroit’s strategy to make Larkin grow tired and finally expand his trade list.

Larkin is under contractual obligations, but how could he even go out on the ice at Little Caesars Arena with the trade request hanging over his head and fans reminding him of it every time he touches the puck?

Larkin could avoid the conflict by virtually hiding in the injured room, but that act would only last so long before it’s exposed. That’s not to say Larkin’s upper-body injury is a ruse or anything of that sort; it’s just that the timing of it certainly makes for some tough questions to be asked. Some of which are better left unanswered, but as the saying goes, more often than not, silence implies consent.

According to multiple reports across the NHL and close to the Red Wings, it’s only a matter of time before the team announces its captain for the new season. And fans should look no further than defenseman Moritz Seider. It makes too much sense for the former sixth overall pick in 2019 to become the 38th captain in franchise history.

“Seider is going to be the captain, let’s face it,” as reported on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. “He’s the guy they are going to put the image and likeness of the Red Wings. That’s what they want everybody to be like. Like when it was [Nicklas] Lidstrom and [Steve] Yzerman back in the day, that’s who they want to be like, is him.”

Red Wings’ captain history

Whether it’s Seider or someone else on the roster, it would become only the fifth team captain in the past 40 seasons for the Red Wings. Such a fact highlights the golden years Detroit enjoyed under the captaincies of Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom.

• Dylan Larkin (2021-2026)
• Henrik Zetterberg (2012-2018)
• Nicklas Lidstrom (2006-2012)
• Steve Yzerman (1986-2006)

Clearly, the Red Wings hope they can return to those glory days, and maybe Seider is the perfect candidate to lead them there. A young star drafted by the organization, his commitment and professionalism may perfectly reflect everything the Wings need to get out of their hole.

Seider’s numbers

Seider is currently an alternate captain with five seasons left on his seven-year, $59.85 million contract in Detroit. He will become a UFA in 2031 at the age of 31. Through his time with the Red Wings, Seider has posted 240 points (39 goals and 201 assists) in 410 games, including a career-high 60-point campaign in 2025-26.

Seider has yet to miss a single game, playing all 82 games in each of his five seasons in the league. Obviously, the long offseasons, a product of the Red Wings’ 10-season playoff drought, helped Seider stay healthy, but he still represents everything Detroit wants out of its leaders.

Another candidate

Another candidate for the vacant captaincy in Motor City could be Alex DeBrincat, who was born and raised in the state of Michigan and has made it clear he wants to re-sign with the Wings.

However, the pending UFA has yet to put pen to paper on an extension, and Detroit may not want to risk handing the C to a player who may not be in town for the long term. Some might say not naming DeBrincat could lead to a rift between the player and organization, but even “The Cat” may acknowledge that Seider is the right choice.

“The Detroit Red Wings today appointed Shawn Horcoff as the club’s interim General Manager,” the Red Wings’ official statement read. “Horcof will manage day-to-day roster decisions, salary cap, and hockey operations personnel for the Red Wings – reporting to Red Wings Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch during this interim period.“

It remains to be seen how Larkin reacts to the news of Horcoff’s hire. If he was waiting for a major overhaul in the front office, learning the team will be sticking with someone who was an assistant GM during Steve Yzerman’s tenure may not be the most promising of outlooks. His NHL career is at stake, and it doesn’t look like the Red Wings have much in store for him.

Larkin’s future after Horcoff’s promotion

In the words of both the team and Larkin, the general manager search would mean a lot, and if there ever was a chance for Larkin to walk back his trade request, it was if he saw eye to eye with the new GM and his ideas for the team. Instead of a ground-breaking, eye-opening move, the Red Wings may have simply announced a figurehead.

How Larkin gets along with Horcoff and whether he believes in his plan is uncertain, but it sure doesn’t look like Detroit will be set for a 180-degree spin. Not if the Red Wings landed on someone already employed by the organization and whose job title will have the word “interim” ahead of it.

Red Wings make their peace with Larkin leaving

In more ways than one, it could be the Wings’ way of subtly announcing they have given up on Larkin. If he wants to leave, he knows where the exit door is; all he needs to do is expand his trade list. Otherwise, the saga that followed the team throughout the dog days of summer will extend into the season. All that will change is that a booing soundtrack will join the mix every time Larkin has the puck on home ice at Little Caesars Arena.

It may not take many hostile home games before Larkin realizes there is truly no way out but to expand his trade list, but that would take him accepting that he may not be heading for the Minnesota Wild’s organization after all.

It’s a tough decision, one that matches the high stakes of the entire situation in Detroit. As for Horcoff, handling—and finding a solution to—Larkin’s drama won’t be the only task waiting for him at his desk.

Contract extensions await

It took a while, but the Red Wings are finally showing signs of life in the NHL offseason. Even if it’s only announcing what has been reported and speculated about for months, naming Horcoff as the interim general manager is an encouraging sign. Not only for Alex DeBrincat, but mostly for Simon Edvinsson, who remains an unsigned RFA and can hear the clock ticking before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in the league becomes obsolete.

Detroit announced Horcoff’s appointment just hours before the deadline (Sept. 15 at 11:59 p.m. ET). Therefore, he either dives right into work and pulls off a deal—or two—in record time, or the Red Wings wave goodbye to an eight-year contract extension for DeBrincat and Edvinsson. Starting Sept. 16, eight-year contract extensions will become a thing of the past in the NHL, with the maximum term for players re-signing with their teams dropping to seven seasons.

It may sound minuscule and as if it makes little difference, but that’s a thought that ignores the bigger picture. Ask any GM around the league if they could have one more guaranteed year with their star players, and they would take it in a heartbeat.

Horcoff will be put to the test right away

Either way, Horcoff is now at the helm in Motor City and will have to make critical decisions, in addition to negotiating with DeBrincat and Edvinsson’s camps. Detroit will start its training camp on Sept. 17, and it would be best if Edvinsson is signed to a contract by then.

DeBrincat’s situation can wait. Of course, he may not be able to re-sign for eight more years, but it’s probable that neither he nor the Wings were interested in handing him such a long-term deal. As for Edvinsson, there are more question marks, but they will only begin to answer themselves when Horcoff and the Red Wings resume talks with the young left-handed defenseman once and for all.

Far from throwing Larkin under the bus, DeBrincat—whose contract situation is another topic to watch going into the new NHL campaign—stood by his teammate and fellow Michigan native. With DeBrincat being the first Red Wings player to speak on the matter, his comments may be considered true for the rest of the locker room, too.

“It sucks. But it doesn’t really change what we think of [Larkin]. He’s still a great player, he’s been a great friend, and a great teammate. We obviously love him here,” DeBrincat said, according to Michael Traikos of The Hockey News. “It’s up to him to answer what’s next. But we’re happy to see him at the rink.”

Larkin holds his ground despite long wait

Although the Red Wings reportedly have a chance to convince Larkin to withdraw his trade request, it still seems unlikely the captain walks back his public demand. That’s not to say Larkin will be traded soon, which all signs indicate won’t happen, but it may confirm Larkin has long made up his mind.

Larkin may not care to leave immediately, but he surely doesn’t want to stay for the long haul. Despite the dramatic scenes in Detroit, with training camp right around the corner, DeBrincat—and apparently the rest of the team—have lost no respect for Larkin.

Much has been speculated about how the team would react to Larkin’s trade request. There is no need to wonder how the fanbase took the news; the fans in Motor City have made themselves heard time and again. If it were up to them, they would have traded Larkin away a long time ago.

Red Wings show no signs of trading Larkin soon

The problem is, the Wings don’t even have a general manager at this stage of the offseason, so that puts any trade option off the table. Still, with Larkin expected to attend the team’s training camp, it seems the locker room will hold no grudges against him.

Even if they know deep down that Larkin doesn’t want to be there, his teammates are still appreciative of their time together. At the very least, DeBrincat is. The Red Wings much rather have the whole team at peace with Larkin. The last thing they need is another layer on top of what’s already a full plate.

Whichever is the case, the status quo remains in Detroit, and the shaggy dog story will extend into another chapter, likely even more dramatic as the new season looms on the horizon.

The Red Wings are only days away from the start of training camp, and there has been zero progress in Larkin’s trade talks. By the looks of it, the captain—likely won’t hold that title for much longer—will have to join his teammates on the practice rink as he awaits a resolution to his ongoing rift with the franchise. In fact, he will likely have to wait for the 2026-27 NHL season to start before being traded.

“Given where we are at the late stages of the summer, it’s more likely than not that he will be starting [the season] in Detroit,” Ryan Johnston reported during an appearance on First Up.

With reports suggesting the holdout route is closed to Larkin amid his Red Wings drama, he may have no choice but to put on a happy face and go to work. The problem is, with Steve Yzerman gone, Larkin doesn’t even have a scapegoat or someone to aim his frustration at.

Larkin’s trade-list hasn’t paid off

When Larkin requested a trade out of the Red Wings, he put his full no-trade clause to good use by providing a three-team trade list to the front office. The problem was that was as far as he could go in his attempt to leave Detroit. The ball bounced off to the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights’ courts, and the Red Wings’, too.

The main issue is that the Wild (believed to be Larkin’s ideal destination) lack the assets to meet the Wings’ requirements. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Golden Knights have, at most, lukewarm interest in Larkin. Both Florida and Vegas are quite cap-crunched and don’t really need a top-six centerman as much as Minnesota does.

That means the biggest bidder in the sweepstakes is actually a short-funded suitor. That doesn’t bode well for Larkin’s odds of being traded anytime soon. Plus, it’s not as if Detroit risks losing Larkin to free agency anytime soon. He will only become a UFA in 2031. Of course, the drama won’t extend for that long, but if it did, it takes two to tango, and the Red Wings can be as petty as needed to make their point.

Larkin can’t do much about his trade

For the time being, Larkin may not be going anywhere. There’s also no general manager in Hockeytown, so that’s yet another hurdle, and actually the biggest one impeding a trade from materializing anytime soon. Whenever the Red Wings make a decision on Yzerman’s replacement—a report hints they missed the urgent timeline to hire a new GM—then trade talks will make sense again.

Until then, the status quo will prevail. Larkin will remain a member of the Red Wings, and his bid to leave his home state of Michigan for the first time in his hockey career will stay on hold. Meanwhile, the hourglass will only run shorter on sand grains, and the start of training camp will come shortly.

It’s clear most fans want Larkin gone, but the front office won’t act on impulse. The problem remains that there are too many voids in the front office. If one were to ask who is in charge right now in Motor City, there may be no definite answer. That’s the other side of Steve Yzerman’s departure, which reports all but confirm was more of a firing than a mutual agreement.

With no acting general manager in place, the Red Wings are wandering just days away from the start of training camp across NHL rinks. The latest update on the ongoing drama and circus in Detroit has now confirmed that one strong candidate for the open position has withdrawn from consideration. At this point, it’s only par for the course.

“Detroit Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg — citing his commitment and desire to finish what he’s started— has withdrawn from consideration for the vacant Red Wings position. The search continues minus one legit contender,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported.

Why Greenberg made sense

Greenberg is someone Chris Ilitch, governor and CEO of the Detroit Red Wings, trusts. In addition to his role within the Red Wings, Ilitch is also chairman and CEO of the Detroit Tigers in MLB. Greenberg is currently employed by Ilitch as the general manager of Detroit’s baseball club and was considered a strong candidate for the vacant job at the other building in Downtown Detroit.

However, with the MLB season still ongoing, he decided to remain with the Tigers. “[Greenberg] said he admires the Red Wings and was honored to be considered, but is committed to [the] Tigers,” as reported by Evan Woodbery of MLive.

Many might question why an executive with a job in another sport would be a good fit, but Greenberg has NHL experience under his belt as well. He was associate general manager for the Chicago Blackhawks from April 2022 to September 2023, when he left to join the Tigers’ front office.

Although this new opportunity would have required zero moving crews and new addresses for Greenberg and his family, he still decided he was just fine at Comerica Park rather than enter Little Caesars Arena, which stands less than half a mile away from his current office.

Red Wings won’t make deadline

A report around the Red Wings revealed an urgent deadline for the GM search, pointing to the fact that Detroit hoped to have a solution in place by Labor Day (Sept. 7, 2026). However, unless the Wings did a fantastic job covering their tracks, it seems they won’t meet the deadline. It only adds to the drama around town.

Training camp will start on Sept. 17, and there is still no general manager in the front office. In addition to what it means for Larkin’s future, with him having to decide whether he holds out or joins the team despite making it clear he wanted nothing more to do with it, it also brings trouble for a youngster on the squad.

Red Wings have yet to re-sign Edvinsson

Simon Edvinsson, the 23-year-old defenseman, remains an RFA. Contract negotiations have stalled with no GM in place, and he is still missing the contract that allows him to participate in the 2026-27 NHL season.

Needless to say, it’s far from ideal for the young blueliner, who has 56 points to his name across the last two seasons. This kind of sloppiness on Detroit’s part could come at a cost and may hint at the end of the professional relationship between Edvinsson, his camp and the 11-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise.

All eyes are on the Red Wings’ search for their next general manager. Detroit reportedly faces an urgent timeline to hire its new GM amid the Larkin trade request saga, but all hope isn’t lost just yet. In fact, if the Wings land the right candidate, Larkin might think twice before waiving his no-trade clause.

“I think maybe the change in management might—and I’m not speaking for Larkin—but it might change the dynamic a little bit to make him want to stay. I’m not sure that he ends up being traded,” Kevin Weekes said about Larkin’s future with the Red Wings on Off The Roster.

If the Red Wings want to keep Larkin, they might be down to their last bullet in the chamber. Parting with Yzerman was a move in the right direction, but they must seal the deal now. However, while it would do wonders for the lineup, retaining Larkin after the captain cost them so much in the offseason and dragged the franchise’s reputation through the mud may not sit well with the fanbase.

Fans could oppose

Although Larkin walking back his trade request and starting the 2026-27 NHL season with the Red Wings remains a possibility, it wouldn’t come without a price. Most fans in Detroit have turned on Larkin and believe there is no going back.

It has been made clear time and again throughout the offseason. Red Wings fans are returning the favor. Larkin asked to leave the organization, and the fanbase isn’t counting on him anymore.

No way back for Larkin

Thus, even if Larkin changes his mind and decides he wants to stay in Motor City, he will likely be treated to a hostile welcome when the puck drops. Some fans don’t agree and believe having Larkin on board makes the team better.

In fact, most will share that thought. Detroit is better with Larkin, but many don’t care. They feel betrayed by the home-state captain and want him gone. It’s no longer about doing what’s best for the organization; pride and pettiness are involved now.

Staying with Red Wings could be for the worse

If Larkin is to start the season in Detroit, he will likely be booed all night long. It may wane as the days pass, but that would require the team to string together wins and Larkin to get off to the best start of his career. In more ways than one, by staying put, Larkin would be facing a lot more pressure than if he were to leave.

It’s been a long time since he asked out, and he hasn’t given the Red Wings many options to trade him in the NHL. The time for refunds is over, and it appears to be too late for Larkin to have a change of heart—at least, to do so and expect love and mercy from the fans. If he ends up staying, he will have to win them over.

However, there’s a big difference, and perhaps the reason why Hellebuyck might be traded and Larkin may not, or at least why Hellebuyck could be shipped off faster or more smoothly from Winnipeg ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season. Both have five years left on their contracts and hold no-trade clauses. But while Larkin has only submitted a three-team trade list (Minnesota, Florida, and Vegas) for the Red Wings to work with, Hellebuyck is much more open-minded and willing to waive his NMC.

“It does and has continued to sound like [Hellebuyck is] a lot more open to different scenarios than some of the other guys like Dylan Larkin, which is why you’re hearing teams like Utah and San Jose [for Hellebuyck],” as stated by David Pagnotta on Jets at Noon.

The goaltender has learned the lesson. Being picky about his next club hasn’t done Larkin any good, he’s still in Detroit months after asking out, and fans in his home state have turned on him. Thus, Hellebuyck is reportedly going with a different strategy. Maybe it will help him reach his end goal—being traded—faster and without completely burning a bridge along the way.

Hellebuyck and Jets face less tension, but tense regardless

Hellebuyck going public with his trade request will come at a price for Winnipeg, which lost virtually all its leverage when the news broke. But still, Hellebuyck is giving the Jets a bit more leeway to explore the market and come away with the offer they feel is best. Larkin, on the other hand, hasn’t given Detroit that privilege, and there is little hope he will.

The Red Wings hold on to a sliver of hope that Larkin will walk back his trade request, but he isn’t budging for the time being. When all sides of the U.S. Olympians’ trade requests are put together, it’s clear to see Hellebuyck and the Jets are in a better place than Larkin and the Wings.

For starters, Detroit currently has no general manager in place, directionlessly wandering through a crucial stage of the NHL offseason and set to embark on a nerve-wracking stretch. In fact, a report reveals the Red Wings face an urgent timeline to hire a new GM amid Larkin’s situation.

Which teams could be in on Hellebuyck?

Long story short, about 25 of the 31 teams (not counting the Jets) in the NHL would love to land Hellebuyck. However, not every team is a good fit for him or can actually pull the trade off. That leaves the favorites: the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils.

Other teams to keep an eye on are the San Jose Sharks and Utah Mammoth, who are on a steady upward trend. A blockbuster move for arguably the best goalie in the NHL could be what puts them firmly in the conversation and opens their championship window.

Lastly, fans can’t overlook the usual suspects in the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. Both have some cap and roster dilemmas to figure out, but that rarely stops them from making moves.