The 2026 NHL offseason received it's first shocker Thursday when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin had "recently requested a trade" from the organization.
Larkin is a three-time All-Star who helped Team USA capture a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. He's also coming off another strong season with the Wings, tallying 67 points (34 goals and 33 assists) in 74 games.
Former Sabres head coach Don Granato, who crossed paths with Larkin at the U.S. National Team Development Program, delivered high praise of the 2014 first-round pick.
"Larks is one of the best captains in the league — ultra competitive about winning," Granato told WGR's Jeremy White. "Tough to find guys like him that combine confidence to confront teammates and ability to earn teammates' respect at the same time."
The 29-year-old Michigan native has worn the 'C' for Detroit since January 2021.
Friedman reported two baseline reasons for the trade request: the Red Wings' 10-year playoff drought, which is the NHL's longest after the Sabres just ended a 14-year postseason absence, and a "frosty relationship" between Larkin and Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman.
Of course, a request doesn't necessarily mean the talented center will be moved this summer.
Dylan Larkin is a top-tier trade target for the Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres' dream addition this offseason should be a speedy first-line center who can win faceoffs and boost a power play that's struggled mightily in recent years.
Larkin checks all of those boxes.
The 6-foot-1 pivot scored 24 of his 67 points this season on the power play (14 goals and 10 helpers). He also won 52.9% of his nearly 1,500 faceoffs, which was right in line with his career average (52.8%).
While he's not quite as dynamic of a skater as he was earlier in his career, he still ranked above the 90th percentile in a couple skating categories, according to NHL EDGE.
Putting Larkin on the first line alongside Tage Thompson, who's better suited to play on the wing, and Zach Benson would give Buffalo one of the league's most well-rounded top trios.
He wouldn't come cheap — our Brandon Croce projected the price at Josh Norris, Jack Quinn, prospect Radim Mrtka and the club's first-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft — and it's unclear whether the Wings would even consider dealing him to an Atlantic Division rival.
That said, this is a crucial summer for Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen. He's being forced to juggle a large group of internal free agents, led by Benson and UFA Alex Tuch, and the need for a high-profile trade with the fact the team is dealing with a salary-cap crunch.
When the dust settles, Kekalainen will want to have Buffalo's roster in a position to meet or exceed its results from this season, when it reached the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
Anything less would be a disappointment, and it'd threaten the Sabres' long-awaited progress after more than a decade of misery for one of the league's best fanbases.
That's why it feels important for Buffalo's front office to take a bold swing this summer. Whether it's Larkin, St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas or another marquee name, now feels like the time to try finding the missing piece of the puzzle.
Simply maintaining the status quo probably won't be enough in a loaded Eastern Conference.
