2026 NHL Offseason Thread: You're probably wondering how I got there

[Grand Moff Larkin]

I've been getting suggested posts on Instagram from NHL team fan pages with their trade proposals -- clearly Instagram knows I've visited HFBoards -- and the Broons ones are the funniest. Every package is some combination of Casey Mittelstadt, Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, Florida's 2028 1st, mid-round picks, and prospects I barely recognize. Like for Robert Thomas. And then most of their fans are either "I couldn't give up all of that" or "I would do a lot of those deals." One guy will be like "Uh those teams would want more."

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Welp Larkin has requested a trade

Pretty sure Neu! 15 will not handle this news well

[Grand Moff Larkin]

It's a real gut punch because 1. he's the captain and the longest tenured Wing 2. I assumed he wanted to be part of the solution, not jump ship 3. they need another top six C, not to trade the one they have.

I assume any team who was in on Robert Thomas would look at Larkin. Can't see them trading him in division (Montreal and Boston would be the obvious ones, but also Buffalo and Ottawa). Minnesota and Utah are the obvious ones out West. Maybe Anaheim since McTavish is on the block? Prashanth Iyer mentions San Jose and Seattle, but Larkin has a full no-trade clause so I don't think Seattle is likely. https://prashanthiyer.substack.com/p/dy ... a-trade-my

If they move him, the best potential piece coming back is a future top-six C, like Caleb Desnoyers from Utah. It's hard to say that anyone (Yurov, Stramel) coming back from Minnesota is a guaranteed top 6 C -- otherwise they'd just keep him. But my gut says that he wants to go to Minnesota because of Guerin running the Olympic team and Hughes / Boldy being there. I'd prefer that over anyone in the East, but if he insists on Minnesota they're not getting the best package.

The bigger problem is how this affects the rest of the offseason. Does Kane come back if Larkin's headed out? Do they move DeBrincat because he's a similar age and has one year left before he's UFA? I assumed he wanted to come back to Detroit. Basically, does this trigger another tear-down? It wouldn't be complete like last time but the goal was to make the playoffs, and I don't see them doing that if Larkin's traded for futures.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The Faulk trade got worse, too. It's one thing to give up a mid-first and not make the playoffs, but if you're getting a piece for next year to help with the playoffs, and then you're less likely for the playoffs anyway...

[practice]

All these dickheads only want to play on one of like 5 teams or in one of 4 states, stupida fahking league

[Grand Moff Larkin]

I will do a power ranking of teams I would be OK with seeing Larkin go to

[Grand Moff Larkin]

I started doing that and got real depressed. Anyway someone commented that there's likely a trade in the works if this is coming out, and I tend to agree. My gut is still that it's Minnesota because of the Olympic connections, and Yzerman has to take something like Yurov / cap dump / Stramel and/or 2027 first. Anaheim seems like the best trade return scenario, like McTavish + Solberg or 1st. Columbus got brought up because of Werenski (that fucking pipe dream of them playing together, real monkey's paw shit) but I don't see them moving Sillinger, and past that it's guys like Jackson Smith, Kent Johnson, etc. Right now I'd bet on Minnesota.

Guess I'll have to get my son a Seider jersey.

[kit fox]

my condolences to Neu! 15, that sucks. A real trooper for experiencing only this era of wings fandom.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

I told him, he yelled "WHAT?" but seems to have gotten over it. Maybe if a Zelda game had been canceled.

I did remember how one of the games we attended last season ended with a Larkin game-winning breakaway goal in OT. I assume wherever Larkin ends up, he gets booed hard when he come back to Detroit.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

My new theory is that Minnesota will try to keep Yurov because he’s Russian and they need a pal for Kaprisov, and the Wings have zero Russians. “You’ll take Ryan Hartman and you’ll like it.”

[practice]

yeah you can't even get a haul in exchange for these guys anymore cuz they all have NMCs and they will all only play for 1 of 5 teams who have all traded all their picks and prospects already to acquire the rest of the buddies, the winning franchise is the one that can manage to assemble the largest friend group

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The approach of "Oops, all Michigan boys" had promise, but not being able to swing someone like Werenski, Connor, or Hellebuyck. Andrew Copp and Alex DeBrincat ain't enough, sadly. I don't know the approach after that. A random assortment of Europeans? Do those guys stay long-term?

It fucking rules that yet again the Zadina pick bites the Wings in the ass -- if they had Quinn Hughes, not only would they have made the playoffs already, but Larkin wouldn't be trying to get out. There's been a lot of "If only they'd gotten Hughes from Vancouver" second-guessing and I still don't think moving Edvinsson + Danielson + Cossa + whatever for Hughes helps the Wings win a playoff round. You'd still have Larkin but

I still don't know if they move DeBrincat before he becomes UFA next summer, and maybe they should and do a harder reset, but DeBrincat wants to be in Detroit. He busted his ass this year and is someone I'd build around. Honestly I trust a Seider / DeBrincat leadership core more than Larkin. But neither of them plays center.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Mtl would be a good fit, fills their need better than Knies would imo.

Obviously not happening, but a good hockey fit and the Habs have a ton of trade-able assets.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Dallas, Tampa, maybe Florida, and Minnesota are the teams Elliotte is looking at.

Dallas doesn’t really make sense. They could trade Robertson for Larkin because Robertson is asking for more than Larkin’s number, but Dallas has Johnston and Hintz at center, Detroit wouldn’t have any centers, and I don’t think Larkin is what they’re missing. Maybe a three team deal where Robertson goes somewhere else but I don’t see it.

Tampa I do not get at all. I guess they could use a top six C if Cirelli is ideally a 3C, but who are they trading? Do they have any assets left? Is there a roster player who’d move?

Florida has the ninth pick and they’re all in on the current core, so maybe that makes sense. Lindell is an intriguing piece but I assume they keep him. They also need a goalie so maybe Cossa goes too?

Minnesota still makes the most sense for Larkin and the most pain for Detroit so again, that’s where he’ll go.

[sutterfamily]

It's an absolute impossibility but Robertson to Ottawa would be amazing.

Sorry about Larkin - trade requests suck.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Larkin to Dallas, Robertson to Ottawa, Stooter to Detroit to be with his fellow German Moritz Seider

[linseman]

Larkin to Dallas, Robertson to Ottawa, Stooter to Detroit to be with his fellow German Moritz Seider

get it done

[linseman]

11-year old me would have been inconsolable if yzerman had asked for a trade

[linseman]

i don't think it's just the team being way worse, or me just being old, to think that larkin falls waaaaay short of anybody else in my memory as captain and/or as nominal Best Red Wing

that's an extremely high bar but i never really liked him that much for whatever reason

[Grand Moff Larkin]

11-year old me would have been inconsolable if yzerman had asked for a trade

I don’t remember the exact year, but I took it very personally when the Tigers phased out Alan Trammell for Travis Fryman and basically stopped caring about baseball for a while.

In terms of Larkin, I remember when the discourse was over when he would get the captaincy, and it seemed like they held out for a while longer than he wanted on that. Part of that must’ve been falling in a chain after Yzerman, Lidstrom, and Zetterberg, but I do think he’s a frustrating guy who puts his own interests (going after Matthieu Joseph, for instance) ahead of the team. He went on tilt too easily for a captain. Seider seems like a better leader, and he was also the Wings’ best player by a good margin this year (with DeBrincat second). I will say that Larkin’s enthusiasm was endearing, very much a happy puppy when he got a big goal. But the team flailing when adversity hit does come back to how he handled himself in those situations.