NHL trade rumors freeze as Larkin and Hellebuyck wait on big deals
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Dylan Larkin has given Detroit a 10-team trade list. He wants out, but he keeps playing for the Red Wings.
- Connor Hellebuyck remains suspended without pay. He can come back on Friday, October 23, if he reports to Winnipeg.
- Two more unsigned defensemen, Alexander Nikishin and Simon Edvinsson, are also sitting out over contracts.
Trade chatter in the NHL right now comes down to two names. Dylan Larkin wants out of Detroit. Connor Hellebuyck wants out of Winnipeg.
Neither has moved yet.
Both players asked for trades this summer. Both teams are asking for a big return. That is why nothing has moved yet.
It is also why "NHL trades" is one of the most searched sports terms this week.
What happened
Larkin is 30 and plays center for the Detroit Red Wings. He is a former captain and a Michigan native. This week he gave the team a list of 10 teams, per a Wire Report story from October 22. Those are the teams he would accept a trade to.
His list leaves out all seven Canadian teams. That ends the hope of Montreal fans. They chanted "We want Larkin" when Detroit visited the Bell Centre on October 10. Larkin heard them and thanked them.
But TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported on October 13 that he will not add the Canadiens. He prefers a non-Canadian team.
Hellebuyck is 33 and a goalie for the Winnipeg Jets. He has won the Vezina Trophy three times. That award goes to the league's best goalie.
He asked for a trade in August and never showed up to training camp. The Jets suspended him without pay. He is sitting at home in Michigan, waiting for a deal.
The two sagas crossed paths when the Rangers' Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending leg injury. Some people said New York should chase Hellebuyck. TSN's Darren Dreger reported there was "conversation" between the Rangers and the Jets.
But the Rangers will not pay Winnipeg's high asking price. That is what both Dreger and Bleacher Report say.
Why it matters
The money is the hard part. Teams must fit every salary under a league-wide cap. Big contracts need big cap space.
Big contracts need big cap space. Hellebuyck's deal is expensive. His no-move clause adds another hurdle.
Add the Jets' steep price. The Hockey News says he is very hard to move.
Larkin controls his future almost fully. He has a 10-team list, which means only 10 teams can talk to him. That narrows the market.
The Canadiens are "ready to engage" if he changes his mind, per LeBrun. So far, he has not budged.
The problem goes wider than the two stars. Alexander Nikishin is a 25-year-old defenseman tied to the Carolina Hurricanes. He asked for a trade in the summer and still has no new contract.
The Hurricanes once offered Nikishin and a first-round draft pick for Hellebuyck, per the Wire Report. Then the St. Louis Blues started chasing Nikishin too, which tangled the talks.
Simon Edvinsson is another young defenseman with no contract. He met face to face with Detroit's management this week about his own trade request. So Detroit is juggling two unhappy players at once.
Compare that with the Carolina Hurricanes. They sit near the top of the Super 16 power rankings. Contending teams like them have interest and assets.
Rebuilding teams like Detroit do not have the same leverage.
What happens next
Friday, October 23, is the next key date. That is when Hellebuyck can be reinstated if he reports to Winnipeg. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has heard talk that Hellebuyck might return.
But he also says neither side really wants that right now. The Jets are playing better than expected with Stuart Skinner and Clay Stevenson in goal. So the door may be closing.
On the Larkin side, there is talk that Detroit could move him within seven to ten days. That report comes from Detroit Hockey Now. Utah, New Jersey, Carolina, and Tampa Bay are the kind of contenders linked to him.
Bleacher Report's Joe Yerdon even ranked the Utah Mammoth as his top landing spot. He cited their young core and deep prospect pool.
The Philadelphia Flyers are another team to watch. They started the season 1-6-3. Their coach is safe for now. But general manager Danny Briere is getting lots of calls, per LeBrun.
Nothing close to a big deal yet.
The standoff in one paragraph
Two stars want trades. Two teams want full value in return. The salary cap makes every deal hard.
Until someone blinks, the NHL trade market stays frozen.
That freeze is exactly why fans keep searching "NHL trades" every day. The next move will likely come after Friday. That is when Hellebuyck's reinstatement date forces Winnipeg to make a call.
Detroit faces the same pressure with Larkin. Watch which contender calls first.
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