Will the Hellebuyck and Larkin Trades Happen This Summer or Mid-Season?
Anthony Di Marco of The Daily Faceoff was on TSN Radio and was asked which player will be moved first: Connor Hellebuyck or Dylan Larkin. Could these trades happen this summer or more toward the deadline?
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
NHL Rumors: Now What for Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings?
Host: “We talk about all these potential UFAs coming up. I’ve spent the entire summer reading about (Connor) Hellebuyck and (Dylan) Larkin. Is this going to happen this summer, or are they going to end up playing with their teams and being moved mid-season?”
Anthony Di Marco: “The Larkin one, I think, is more complicated because of Steve Yzerman stepping down from his role last week. And I thoroughly believe, and speaking with one general manager in the NHL last week, that this was in part on Detroit’s angle to try and get Larkin to stay, and if it’s not to get Larkin to stay, at least make the process a little smoother.
Because you heard what Detroit was asking from teams like Dallas: they want Wyatt Johnston, or they want Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild. Like, that is a very unrealistic ask if you’re Steve Yzerman because why would you trade a Johnston or a Boldy for a soon-to-be 30-year-old Dylan Larkin, who at this point in time is probably a worse player than either of those two guys? So I think that one may drag out a little bit.
Can the Buffalo Sabres pull off a Connor Hellebuyck trade?
As for Connor Hellebuyck, I mean we’ve been hearing about him going to Buffalo for quite some time. He would waive his no-movement clause to go to Buffalo. Was the last time you heard that? But it would make a lot of sense. I think it would make sense at the draft if Buffalo could have parlayed that fourth overall pick that they got from Chicago for Bowen Byram as part of a package to get Hellebuyck.
So if I were a betting man, I think that Hellebuyck would be moved sooner than Larkin just because of the management change we’re seeing right now going on in Detroit.
NHLRumors.com Note: The Dylan Larkin saga could be put on pause for a while until the Detroit Red Wings figure out their next general manager. Right now, that is the million-dollar question surrounding Larkin and the Wings. Given the changes in Detroit, could there be a way to salvage the relationship?
NHL Rumors: Detroit Red Wings Open to Any Front Office Structure
As for Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg, if he wants to go to Buffalo, he still can, but the players that were part of the initial deal at the 2026 NHL Draft would need to waive their trade clauses to go to Winnipeg. But Buffalo makes sense for Hellebuyck as the Sabres want to take the next step.
However, both the Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings are asking a pretty penny for their star players. This could take a bit, but the sense is that Hellebuyck could get done before Larkin.
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