New Jersey Devils Receive Massive Trade Update

Dylan Larkin’s long search for a new home has quietly opened a door for the New Jersey Devils. The Detroit Red Wings center, who asked to be traded last summer after more than a decade without a playoff appearance, has expanded the list of teams he would accept a move to.

That group of 10 now includes the Devils, according to reporting from the Detroit Free Press.

For months the list had been short. Larkin, a Michigan native drafted 15th overall in 2014, initially limited himself to the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. Dallas was later added. None of those clubs could complete a deal.

Florida and Vegas were short on assets after earlier moves, and Minnesota never found common ground with Detroit.

As a result, Larkin began the 2026-27 season still in a Red Wings uniform, even after the organization stripped him of the captaincy and fans booed him at Little Caesars Arena.

His image was even removed from a captains mural in the building. Through seven games he has one goal and four assists while continuing to play for a team that has not reached the postseason in ten straight seasons.

The expanded list changes the picture.

Alongside the original clubs, Larkin will now consider the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Utah Mammoth, Washington Capitals, and the Devils. Every team on the list has been a regular playoff participant in recent years.

Larkin, who won Olympic gold with the United States in February, has made clear he wants a realistic chance to chase a Stanley Cup. He has scored at least 30 goals in each of the last five seasons and carries an $8.7 million cap hit through 2030-31 under a full no-trade clause. Career totals stand at 277 goals and 648 points in 815 games.

For the Devils, the interest is logical on the ice. Adding Larkin would give them three high-end centers alongside Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

Larkin and Hughes already share chemistry from the Olympics, and Larkin’s history of finishing around the net would address a need in New Jersey’s forward group.

Coach Sheldon Keefe would gain flexibility in deploying his top players, and the $8.7 million average annual value looks increasingly reasonable as the salary cap continues to rise.

Making the trade is another matter. The Devils currently have little cap space, so any deal would require sending significant salary the other way. Detroit is unlikely to accept a light return for a player still under contract for several seasons.

General manager Sunny Mehta has favored acquiring players whose best years may still lie ahead; Larkin, at 30, represents a more immediate, win-now commitment. The price in young players or draft capital would also limit what New Jersey could do at the deadline or next summer.

Larkin has shown he is willing to play in New Jersey. Whether the Devils decide the cost is worth the upgrade remains the open question that will shape the next phase of his career.