Golden Knights’ perfect trade offer for Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin after trade request

The Detroit Red Wings have missed the playoffs for ten straight seasons. This has led Dylan Larkin to be disgruntled with his situation. Larkin has now requested a trade away from the Red Wings. Now, Larkin has reportedly given a list of three teams he would be willing to be traded to.

Among the list of teams that Larkin is interested in are the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights. Unlike the Red Wings, who have not made the playoffs since 2016, all three of the teams have found success on the ice.

Since 2016, the Panthers have made the playoffs six times. Over the past four seasons, including this year, they have played for the Stanley Cup three times and lifted the Cup twice. While they missed the playoffs this year, the Panthers are still primed for the future. Meanwhile, the Wild have been solid as well. They have yet to play for the Cup in the last ten years, but have made the playoffs eight times. They finished third in their division this year, but also third in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights did not even exist the last time the Red Wings made the playoffs. Since the 2018 playoffs, the team has failed to qualify for the playoffs one time, while playing for the Stanley Cup three times and winning once. They are also playing for the Stanley Cup in 2026. If Larkin wants to join a winner, Vegas would be perfect.

The Golden Knights can sell high

The Red Wings will want some center depth in return for Larkin. There is no one hotter in the NHL right now than Brett Howden. So far in the postseason, he has played in all 19 games, finding the back of the net 14 times while adding four assists. Further, he has been great on defense and will add to the penalty kill of the Wings. He has scored three shorthanded goals this year, while also scoring three game-winning goals.

The 28-year-old is not a superstar, but he is a solid middle-six center who is great on defense. He limits high danger scoring chances well, and is also a physical presence on the ice, averaging eight hits per 60 minutes of ice time this past season. Beyond that, his offensive skill is serviceable for a middle-six center. While this year he scored just 12 goals and 10 assists during the regular season, in 2024-25 he found the back of the net 23 times and added 17 assists.

With four years still left on his contract, and at a cost of just $2.5 million per year, Howden could be a solid piece of a trade for Larkin.

The Red Wings need a netminder

The Red Wings will likely be looking for a netminder in whatever deal they do for Larkin. Sebastian Cossa was the 15th overall selection of the 2021 NHL draft by the Wings, but has played just one game at the NHL level. This year, even with some goaltending struggles at the NHL club, Cossa sat in the AHL. Now, it seems the Red Wings may be willing to part with Cossa. Meanwhile, Cam Talbot is a free agent this summer, and he is coming off a down year. The Wings also have soon-to-be 33-year-old John Gibson under contract for one more year.

With questions in the Red Wings’ goaltending situation, the Golden Knights can help provide an answer. Carter Hart has taken over as the top goaltender. He played in just 18 regular-season games, but six of them came after John Tortorella took over as the head coach. Since then, he has also played in all 20 playoff games. This leaves both Adin Hill and Akira Schmid available for the Red Wings.

Schmid is a restricted free agent this offseason, but could be part of a sign-and-trade situation as part of the Larkin deal. The 26-year-old is coming off a solid year in Vegas, going 16-10-6 with a 2.59 goals-against average and a .893 save percentage. He has never gotten the chance to be the primary net minder on a team, which this year is his career high in games started at 29. Still, he has shown he has the potential to take that step, and a year with the veteran Gibson could help.

If the Red Wings want a more proven commodity, Adin Hill could be the answer. Hill is coming off a down year, but in 2024-25, he was 32-13-5 with a 2.47 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. He is also under contract for the next five years at an AAV of $6.25 million. While a little older at 30-years old, he could be a long-term answer for the Red Wings.

An additional prospect gets the deal over the finish line

The top prospect for the Golden Knights is Trevor Connelly. He was the 19th overall selection of the 2024 NHL Draft by the team. He earned that high draft selection from two solid years at the USHL level, where he was named an all-star in his final year. After a season at Providence College, Connelly joined the AHL affiliate Henderson Silver Knights at the end of 2024-25. This past year was his first full season at the AHL level, and he played great.

Connelly beat the goaltender 14 times while adding 35 helpers, scoring 49 points in just 46 games. Further, he scored six points in six playoff games this past season. He has solid speed and a great IQ on the ice. Further, he has seemingly put the past off-ice incidents from his youth career behind him. At just 20-years old, he could be a building piece for the Red Wings as part of the package for Larkin.

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