Red Wings Trade Pitch Lands Former No. 1 Pick in Dylan Larkin Blockbuster

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Red Wings Trade Pitch Lands Former No. 1 Pick in Dylan Larkin Blockbuster

A blockbuster Detroit Red Wings trade proposal sends Dylan Larkin out in a deal bringing back a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Here's how the proposed trade works. Getty

Jonathan Vankin · HEAVY

Wed, November 4, 2026 at 8:49 AM UTC ·

4 min read

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Would Dylan Larkin go to the Buffalo Sabres. A new trade idea says so. Getty

A Red Wings trade pitch sends Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson (above) to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster. Getty

Dylan Larkin now refuses to play for the Detroit Red Wings and as a result, the team has suspended him without pay. Now, a new trade pitch aimed at the Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres could solve the Larkin problem, in an explosive way with a blockbuster deal in which Larkin and fellow holdout Simon Edvinsson would move to Buffalo, and Detroit would collect 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Owen Power plus three more players, under the proposed seven-player swap.

The trade idea would settle two Detroit standoffs at once, Larkin's trade request and Edvinsson's contract impasse, but it still leaves the Red Wings searching for a No. 1 center.

The trade pitch published on the roster-building site PuckGM sends Power ($8.35 million), centers Noah Östlund and Konsta Helenius, and winger Beck Malenstyn to Detroit. Buffalo receives Larkin ($8.7 million), unsigned defenseman Edvinsson and defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka. The Red Wings' projected cap hit would sit at about $82 million, leaving $22 million in space.

Larkin, 30, is a Waterford, Michigan, native whom Detroit drafted 15th overall in 2014. He became the 37th captain in team history in 2021 and has 649 points in 818 games, including 67 last season. He requested a trade in June. His $8.7 million contract runs through 2030-31, with a full no-trade clause through 2028.

Other Players in the Red Wings-Sabres Trade Pitch

Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings plays against the the Ottawa Senators — GettyWould Dylan Larkin go to the Buffalo Sabres? A new trade idea says so.

Edvinsson, 23, the sixth overall pick in 2021 from Kungsbacka, Sweden, has 60 points in 175 games , including 25 points in 72 games last season . He must sign by Dec. 1 or miss the season, and his camp has sought either a two-year deal or the seven-year maximum , while Detroit prefers a shorter bridge.

"I have zero interest in trading Simon Edvinsson," interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said, according to Audacy .

Sandin-Pellikka, 21, a Gällivare, Sweden, native chosen 17th in 2023, has 22 points in 75 games and an entry-level deal through 2027-28. Power, 23, the first overall pick in 2021 from Mississauga, Ontario, was a Calder Trophy finalist and has 151 points in 336 games under a seven-year, $58.45 million extension through 2030-31. Östlund, 22, selected 16th in 2022, has 36 points in 82 games and a $6.6 million extension beginning 2027-28 .

Malenstyn, 28, a Delta, British Columbia, native drafted 145th in 2016 by Washington, hit 282 times last season and holds a six-year, $17.5 million contract . Helenius, 20, drafted 14th in 2024 from Ylöjärvi, Finland, posted 63 points in 63 AHL games and has seven points in 20 NHL games .

Detroit Red Wings Cap Flexibility Without Dylan Larkin

Simon Edvinsson #77 of the Detroit Red Wings in action. — GettyA Red Wings trade pitch sends Dylan Larkin and Simon Edvinsson (above) to the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster.

Detroit swaps Larkin's $8.7 million for Power's $8.35 million, adds Östlund, Malenstyn and Helenius, and clears Edvinsson's pending raise. The payroll drops now, but Östlund's $6.6 million and Malenstyn's $2.92 million stay on the books for years.

Östlund and Helenius have 102 combined NHL games, compared with Larkin's 818. Östlund scored 27 points in 60 games last season, while Larkin posted 67 in 74. Copp, Compher and Kasper remain Detroit's other centers, and Power plays a different position than the one Larkin vacates.

Buffalo adds a center who scored 70 points in 2024-25 and 67 last season. It sends out Power, Östlund, Helenius and Malenstyn, whose salaries total about $13.1 million, against $9.6 million for Larkin and Sandin-Pellikka before Edvinsson signs.

A deal near Power's $8.35 million would lift Buffalo's incoming total to roughly $18 million, and the Dec. 1 signing deadline would transfer with Edvinsson. By production, the proposal favors Buffalo at center. By cost control and young assets, it favors Detroit.