Dylan Larkin's situation in Detroit hasn't gotten any cleaner, and now it's tangled up in Minnesota's Quinn Hughes drama too.
There's a three-way idea floating out there. Larkin lands with the Wild, and Hughes gets flipped to New Jersey to reunite with his brothers.
From Detroit's side, this is the part that actually matters. The Red Wings still don't have a permanent GM in place, and that alone makes any real trade talk complicated.
Larkin posted 67 points in 74 games this season, his fifth straight year between 67 and 79 points, and he's already been stripped of the captaincy.
Moritz Seider, Detroit's best defenseman, has reportedly been fielding calls this summer about the state of his own team. That's not a great sign for a franchise trying to hold things together.
Detroit finished 41-31-10 for 92 points this season, 16th overall, under head coach Todd McLellan.
Larkin remains willing to accept a trade to Minnesota specifically, which keeps this idea alive even without Detroit having anyone steering the ship on the trade front.
Why Detroit has no real leverage in this scenario
Hughes isn't rushing to sign anywhere, and that indecision is exactly what could make Minnesota pivot toward adding a center like Larkin instead.
If Hughes walks to New Jersey next summer for nothing, Wild GM Bill Guerin needs a fallback plan, and a proven top-six center fits that need.
New Jersey would reportedly need to include Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, and Seamus Casey to get a deal like this done.
Mercer posted 42 points in 82 games this season, while Daws went 1-1-1 in his three appearances with a .907 save percentage.
Here's the problem for Detroit. Without a GM to actually negotiate, the Red Wings have zero control over how any of this plays out around them.
Larkin stays in Detroit for now, still asking out, still stripped of his letter, while two other franchises work out a plan that could solve everyone's problem except the Red Wings' own front office void.
Until Detroit hires someone to actually run point on trade calls, this entire situation stays exactly where it's been all summer. Stuck.
Should the Red Wings accept a package built around Quinn Hughes for Dylan Larkin?
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