Two of the NHL’s biggest unresolved trade requests continue to fuel rumors and speculation, but new reporting has shed light on what it might take to get deals done.
Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, both gold-medal-winning members of Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, want out of their respective teams.
The two stars made their requests to move public over the summer, but neither has landed with a new team yet, partly because of their pickiness about where they want to play and the high cost an acquiring team would need to pay.
While there has been little movement on the former, NHL insiders recently revealed ballpark asking prices for both Larkin and Hellebuyck, so we know more about the latter.
Dylan Larkin
The latest on Larkin comes from TSN’s Darren Dreger, who recently appeared on the network’s Insider Trading show.
“(Detroit wants) three or four pieces, and that’s standard operating procedure when you’re talking about a player of this significance,” Dreger told host Gino Reda. “He’s at a prime age right now; his contract is incredible. Remember, he signed that eight-year extension with the Red Wings that carries him through 2031 at an $8.7 million cap hit.
There are a lot of teams with interest in Dylan Larkin, but unfortunately for those teams, they’re not on his trade list. Three or four pieces is what Shawn Horcoff (interim Red Wings general manager) is looking for, and it’s kind of the usual stuff here. You’re talking about two A-quality prospects, a top-nine forward who can play in the NHL right now, and a first-round draft pick.”
The rumored list of teams that Larkin would accept a trade to includes the Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars. The major problem for most of those teams is that they are contenders with little cap room, jam-packed depth charts, and few attractive trade assets.
Despite a tumultuous summer that included losing his captaincy and suffering an upper-body injury, Larkin reported to training camp and has played five games for Detroit to start the year. However, Red Wings fans still made their displeasure with their former club talisman clear, literally booing him out of the building when he was introduced during the team’s home opener.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Larkin recorded 67 points (34g, 33a) in 74 games, marking his fifth straight year scoring at least 30 goals. He has notched at least 67 points in the past five seasons, including a career-high 79 points (32g, 47a) in 2022-23. He has three points (1g, 2a) to begin this season.
The former 15th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft has played only five career playoff games, all at the end of his rookie 2015-16 season.
Connor Hellebuyck
Hockey insider David Pagnotta shared the latest on what the Jets would like in return for Hellebuyck on NHL Network’s NHL Tonight: First Shift.
“(General manager) Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Winnipeg Jets are in a pretty strong position right now with how they’re playing,” Pagnotta said. “They’re in a good position, in good standing, their guys are contributing, and their goaltending is holding down the fort. They’re in a very comfortable spot, and I don’t think the price has changed.
They want immediate help as part of a package: a second-line-caliber player, maybe two, which was the original cost, along with additional young assets. Does that shift? Does that go to one immediate piece and a larger futures-type package? It’s entirely possible, in terms of trying to expedite things.”
Hellebuyck continues to forfeit his 2026-27 season salary (now over $688k) because of a team-issued suspension for missing training camp, and he still hasn’t reported to Winnipeg with the Jets seven games into their season. However, recent reports suggest he may seek a return to the club soon, though it’s unclear whether his teammates would accept him back into the fold.
The 33-year-old netminder is signed through the 2030-31 campaign at an $8.5 million cap hit. In 57 games for the Jets last season, Hellebuyck posted a 23-23-11 record, a 2.86 goals-against average, and an .895 save percentage. He did not record a shutout for the first time in a season, and per MoneyPuck, he saved just 5.5 more goals than expected, a 34.1 decrease from 2024-25.
In his absence, Stuart Skinner has become Winnipeg’s number-one option in net, with waiver-claim Clay Stevenson now slotted in as his backup. Skinner has earned the Jets at least one standings point in all five of his starts, going 3-0-2 with a 2.76 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage to start the year.
