Early Saturday afternoon, major hockey insider David Pagnotta released an article detailing that the Detroit Red Wings were still actively pursuing trade packages for star center Dylan Larkin. The 29-year-old captain requested a trade out of Detroit early in the off-season, reportedly only being willing to waive his no-movement clause for the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars.
Pagnotta reported that three additional teams are believed to have expressed serious interest in Larkin: the San Jose Sharks, the Seattle Kraken, and the New Jersey Devils.
The thing is, for Larkin, his trade list of four teams is truly a pipe dream. Not a single one of the organizations he green-lit as a destination has either the cap space or the trade assets to appease Steve Yzerman. Dallas would be the closest thing to an obtainable goal, were the Red Wings to unload even more assets in a pitch for Jason Robertson, though he too would have to okay the trade in the form of a new contract.
It's highly unlikely that Larkin wants to go to the Sharks or Kraken, too, since none of those teams are particularly appealing to a player who presumably wants to win alongside fellow Team USA players. Not only is New Jersey the closest thing of those three teams to a contender, but he would be playing with Golden Goal scorer Jack Hughes, whom he has been close friends with for quite some time.
In 2025-26, Larkin continued his now five-year stretch of scoring at least 30 goals, notching a career-high 34. He once again floated near the point-per-game marker, accumulating 67 points in 74 games while missing the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.
Dylan Larkin to the Devils is still its own level of pipe dream
Not only does New Jersey have the cap space -- they currently sit at $7.657 million without shedding any contracts in a potential trade -- but they realistically have the assets to get a deal done as well. Dawson Mercer, who is still only 24 years of age, is a hockey-man GM's dream by virtue of his durability and doggedness on the ice. He has played center in the past, though he is primarily a winger. New Jersey also has four first-round draft picks in the next two years to play with.
As far as other trade fodder goes, the Devils do have (limited) options. They have the young, NHL-ready Lenni Hameenaho and the up-and-coming Anton Silayev, both of whom should be of intrigue to an organization needing skill and young talent.
Realistically speaking, Mercer is a more appealing target for the Red Wings than, say, Charlie Stramel or Danila Yurov, simply by virtue of already having played significant time in the NHL. It's clear that Yzerman isn't looking solely for futures in a deal surrounding Larkin, and Mercer is more polished than his Wild counterparts. Dallas, Florida, and Vegas have nearly nothing to offload in that regard.
With that in mind, then, should Larkin expand his trade list to include New Jersey -- which seems plausible in the sense that he could be a piece to thrust the Devils right back into the "make serious noise in the postseason" category while also checking off the box of playing with a Team USA teammate -- it would be a viable option for both sides.
For New Jersey, adding a bona fide top-six forward would be a huge win, especially one who has historically won his minutes and produced admirably on a subpar team. He brings speed, faceoff prowess in the hypothetical that he lines up next to Jack, a want-to-win attitude, and two-way strengths in all situations. Plus, he's cost-controlled for the next five years at a more-than-reasonable $8.7 million AAV.
Plus, wouldn't it just be so much fun for the Devils to add yet another reason for Quinn Hughes to come over?
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