The Detroit Red Wings are in the midst of a nine-year playoff drought and could make some major changes to shake up the core.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that would see the Red Wings deal captain Dylan Larkin to the Minnesota Wild.
Red Wings acquire:
- Marco Rossi
- 2026 third-round pick
Wild acquire:
- Dylan Larkin
- 2026 fifth-round pick
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Minnesota and Detroit would swap forwards while they also swap mid-round picks to make it more fair.
The Red Wings would acquire a third-round pick and Rossi, who’s an RFA, and the deal would include an extension for Rossi. Rossi has been frustrated with his role with the Wild, which could lead to him being traded. He was selected ninth overall in 2020, and last season, he recorded 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points in 82 games. Rossi would be a top-six winger and would fit in better with Detroit’s young core.
In return, the Red Wings would give up Larkin, who is their captain. With Kirill Kaprizov in the final year of his deal, Minnesota should go all in. Larkin would be a top-six forward who would bolster Minnesota’s offense and make it harder to play against. He’s in the third year of an eight-year, $69.6 million deal. Larkin recorded 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points in 82 games.
Larkin Had a Disagreement with Red Wings GM
After Detroit failed to make the playoffs for the ninth-straight year, Larkin took aim at the Red Wings’ general manager.
The Red Wings didn’t make any major moves at the deadline, and Larkin called out his GM.
“It was hard that we didn’t do anything,” Larkin said. “And then I felt the group kind of — we didn’t gain any momentum from the trade deadline and guys were kind of down about it. It’d be nice to add something and bring a little bit of a spark on the ice, and maybe a morale boost as well.”
After Larkin’s comments, Yzerman fired back at his year-end press conference and said he expected more from the team’s star players.
“It’s been talked about since the trade deadline,” Yzerman said. “Obviously, I’ve addressed Dylan’s comments directly with Dylan, and I will not elaborate on that in this room. If Dylan wants to share what I had to say with him, he’s more than welcome to…
“Did I get a lot of feedback, or any feedback for that matter, on our morale taking a dip? No, I didn’t. I will say I’m counting on our best players, our leaders, to give us a little bit of a morale boost, that is what they are paid for and that is the expectation for them,” Yzerman said.
After the two fired at each other in the media, perhaps Yzerman will look to trade his captain.
Rossi Could Consider a Holdout
Rossi remains an RFA as he and the Wild are in a contract dispute.
As Rossi remains unsigned, NHL insider Cam Robinson of EliteProspects appeared on Sekeres & Price and believes the Austrian could have a holdout.
“Training camp will be kinda where rubber meets the road. I think it’s ‘Are you gonna come back and play for us at the number we want? Or are you gonna sit out?’ And I think that’s maybe the direction it is going in,” Robinson said.
Rossi is looking for a deal around $7 million per season.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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