Will Hellebuyck and Larkin Trades Happen This Summer or Mid-Season?
Anthony Di Marco of The Daily Faceoff was on TSN Radio and asked which player will be taken away first: Connor Hellebuyck or Dylan Larkin. Could this trade happen this summer or more until the deadline?
Writing for NHLRumors.com
NHL Rumors: Now What About Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings?
Host: “We're talking about all these potential UFAs. I spent all 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 getting cut in the middle of the season?”
Anthony Di Marco: “The Larkin one, I think, is very complicated because Steve Yzerman stepped down from his position last week. And I absolutely believe, and I'm talking to one manager in the NHL last week, that this was part of the angle of Detroit to try to make Larkin stay, and if not to make Larkin stay, at least to make the process smooth.
Because you heard what Detroit was asking teams like Dallas: they wanted Wyatt Johnston, or they wanted Matt Boldy from the Minnesota Wild. Like, that's a pretty ridiculous question to ask if you're Steve Yzerman because why would you trade Johnston or Boldy for a 30-year-old Dylan Larkin, who is probably the worse player of the two at this point? So I think one might pull a little.
Could the Buffalo Sabers pull off a Connor Hellebuyck trade?
As for Connor Hellebuyck, I mean we've been hearing that he's going to Buffalo. He could have given up his rule of immobility to go to Nathi. Did you hear that last? But it would make a lot of sense. I think it would have made more sense in this draft if Buffalo had specified that fourth overall pick they received from Chicago for Bowen Byram as part of the package to acquire Hellebuyck.
So if I were a betting man, I think Hellebuyck would be removed sooner than Larkin just because of the management change we're seeing right now in Detroit.
NHLRumors.com Note: The Dylan Larkin story may be put on hold until the Detroit Red Wings find their next manager. Right now, that's 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 Deal
As for Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg, if he wants to go to Buffalo, he still can, but the players who were part of the first deal in the 2026 NHL Draft will have to waive their trade terms to go to Winnipeg. But Buffalo makes sense for Hellebuyck as the Sabers look to take the next step.
However, the Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings are asking a pretty penny for their famous players. This may take a while, but the idea is that Hellebuyck can do it before Larkin.
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