Dylan Larkin has requested a trade away from the Detroit Red Wings, ending ten straight missed playoff seasons. A reported list of three teams includes the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights—where a potential package built around center
When Dylan Larkin asked for a trade away from the Detroit Red Wings, it wasn’t just a roster shake-up—it was a crack in a decade-long frustration. Detroit has missed the playoffs for ten straight seasons, and the 28-year-old has become “disgruntled with his situation.”
Larkin has now reportedly handed over a list of three teams he’d be willing to be traded to. The Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights are all on that list. Each of them has something Detroit hasn’t managed to build over the same stretch: recent postseason momentum and a clear sense of where success looks from the inside.
The Panthers have made the playoffs six times since 2016. Over the past four seasons—including this year—they’ve played for the Stanley Cup three times and lifted it twice. This year ended without a playoff berth, but the expectations haven’t cooled, and the roster is still built for another push.
The Wild have been steady too, even without the kind of Cup window that arrives every year. They haven’t played for the Cup in the last ten years, but they’ve still made the playoffs eight times. This year, they finished third in their division, and they were also third in the Western Conference.
For the Golden Knights, the contrast is sharper. Vegas didn’t even exist the last time Detroit made the playoffs. Since the 2018 playoffs, the franchise has failed to qualify once. In that span. it played for the Stanley Cup three times. won once. and is playing for the Stanley Cup again in 2026. If Larkin wants to join a team that treats contention as a baseline, Vegas is built for it.
Detroit, though, won’t be shopping from a position of weakness. If Larkin is leaving, the Red Wings will want center depth back in return.
That’s where Brett Howden comes into view. Howden is described as the hottest commodity in the NHL right now. and his postseason workload has been relentless: he has played in all 19 games. scoring 14 goals and adding four assists. He’s also been strong defensively and is expected to help Detroit’s penalty kill. This year, he scored three shorthanded goals and also found the net with three game-winning goals.
Howden may not be a superstar. but the pitch for him is specific: he’s a solid middle-six center who brings defense. limits high-danger scoring chances. and provides physical presence. He averaged eight hits per 60 minutes of ice time last season. Offensively. his output fits the same role—12 goals and 10 assists in the regular season this year. before posting 23 goals and 17 assists in 2024-25.
There’s also the contract piece. Howden has four years left, and it’s listed at a cost of $2.5 million per year—money that could make the trade easier for Detroit to stomach while still improving the roster around Larkin’s departure.
A move centered on Larkin doesn’t stop at centers. Detroit’s goaltending picture is expected to matter just as much.
Sebastian Cossa, the Red Wings’ 15th overall selection in the 2021 NHL draft, has played only one NHL game. This year, even with some goaltending struggles at the NHL club, Cossa sat in the AHL. The implication is clear: Detroit could be willing to part with him.
Cam Talbot is also relevant here. He is a free agent this summer and is coming off a down year. Meanwhile, John Gibson—soon to be 33 years old—is under contract for one more year. With questions hanging over Detroit’s goaltending situation. the Golden Knights are positioned as a team that can offer an answer.
Vegas’ internal goaltending pathway starts with Carter Hart. Hart has taken over as the top goaltender and has played 18 regular-season games. with six of them coming after John Tortorella took over as head coach. Since then, Hart has played in all 20 playoff games, leaving Adin Hill and Akira Schmid available for Detroit’s consideration.
Schmid is a restricted free agent this offseason. and the idea is that he could fit into a sign-and-trade as part of the Larkin package. 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’s never had the chance to be the primary netminder on a team. but this year marked his career-high in games started at 29. The argument for Detroit is that a year behind the veteran John Gibson could help him step into a bigger role while still protecting the team’s timeline.
If Detroit wants something more proven, the door swings toward Adin Hill. Hill is coming off a down year. but 2024-25 is the reference point: he went 32-13-5 with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Hill is also under contract for the next five years at an AAV of $6.25 million. At 30 years old, he would be a more immediate fit and a potential long-term answer rather than a developmental bet.
Then there’s the piece that helps deals like this actually happen: prospects.
For Vegas, Trevor Connelly is the key name. Connelly was the 19th overall selection of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Golden Knights. He earned that draft position 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 produced immediately.
Connelly beat the goaltender 14 times and added 35 helpers for 49 points in 46 games. He also contributed six points in six playoff games this past season. His game is described as built on speed and hockey IQ. Off the ice. the report notes that he has “seemingly put the past off-ice incidents from his youth career behind him.” Connelly is 20 years old. and the framing is that he could be a building piece for the Red Wings as part of the larger Larkin package.
Back in Detroit. the trigger remains the same: ten seasons without the playoffs. followed by a request from Dylan Larkin to force a change. Vegas. with its winning track record since 2018 and a structure that can pay the price without breaking the future. is being positioned as the destination most capable of turning that request into a deal that actually looks complete—centers. goaltending. and a prospect to grow alongside what comes next.
Dylan Larkin Detroit Red Wings Vegas Golden Knights Brett Howden Akira Schmid Adin Hill Trevor Connelly Cam Talbot John Gibson Carter Hart NHL trade request