Bill Guerin and the Minnesota Wild have been chasing Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin for months, ever since Larkin first asked for a trade back in early June. Guerin, who knows Larkin well from his USA Hockey days, is absolutely convinced the 12-year veteran, with his five straight 30-goal seasons, is the top-line center the Wild have been desperate for. But here’s the kicker: no deal has gone down. Larkin is still rocking a Red Wings jersey, at least for now, and it’s all because the Wild, after blowing through some trade assets to get Quinn Hughes last December, don’t have the kind of pieces Detroit is looking for without giving up their core.
Yurov’s Early Season Bomb Drops a Wrench in the Works
Fast forward nine games into this NHL season, and suddenly there’s a massive new twist in the Larkin saga. Danila Yurov, the 22-year-old Russian, is absolutely *flying* in his second year, and he’s looking like a legitimate core player for Minnesota. This breakout performance flips the whole script on its head for the Wild. Is the question still “What can we offer Detroit to get them interested?” or has it shifted to “Are we *sure* trading Yurov and a bunch more assets for Larkin is the right move?” On Sunday against the Blue Jackets, Yurov sniped a goal, his third in the last four games, tied a career-high with four shots, and won six of nine faceoffs in the Wild’s 2-1 victory. Talk about clutch!
For the season, Yurov is sitting at four goals and five points in nine games, winning a solid 56.6 percent of his 76 draws. He’s putting up these numbers in a middle-six role, averaging 13:30 of ice time, and even gets reps on the second power-play unit. Yeah, it’s super early, but four goals in nine games translates to a 37-goal pace over an 84-game season. This kid is impressing everyone with his ability to win loose pucks and seems to have an insane knack for finding open space to set up teammates. All four of his goals this year have come on one-timers; he’s got a cannon! Now, Yurov’s 16 career goals are a far cry from Larkin’s 277, but Yurov is eight years younger and makes almost $8 million less. If the Wild truly believe this 2022 first-round pick can keep up this goal-scoring pace, they have to be thinking about yanking their offer off the table, right?
The Quinn Hughes Factor: The Real Wild Card
The Wild are sitting pretty at 6-2-1, while the Red Wings are struggling at 3-3-2, with Larkin only scoring one goal and three points in six games so far this season. On the surface, you could argue Minnesota doesn’t need to change a thing. But here’s the absolute game-changer, the massive counterpoint we have to talk about: Quinn Hughes. Hughes, who hasn’t inked an extension with the Wild before this season, is incredibly tight with Larkin. They were former USA teammates and are both Michigan natives. If bringing in Larkin is the key to getting Hughes to sign that extension, then it almost certainly becomes worth it, even if it means waving goodbye to Yurov and three other assets.
For now, the Wild are just going to have to hope this incredible early breakout from Yurov keeps rolling. Whatever happens, his current performance can only be a good thing, whether he sticks around in Minnesota for the long haul or ends up being the final piece Detroit needs to finally say yes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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