Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 16, 2026
Check out the latest on Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes and Red Wings center Dylan Larkin in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Joe Smith polled Minnesota Wild fans on a variety of topics. They included whether the fans were confident the Wild can get Quinn Hughes signed to an extension.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).
Most still believe Wild general manager Bill Guerin can get the 26-year-old superstar defenseman under contract. However, they’re also underwhelmed by the Wild’s offseason moves thus far.
Russo indicated that multiple league sources believe Hughes still intends to re-sign with the Wild, but the market has turned upside-down this summer, making it more difficult than the club expected.
It’s believed that Hughes’ next contract will “almost certainly” be five years or less with an average annual value in the $19 million range.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talks have been ongoing this summer between Guerin and the Hughes camp. The Wild GM has preached patience, reminding fans that they didn’t get superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov under contract until late September of last year. It wouldn’t be surprising if they announce Hughes’ next contract at some point next month.
Meanwhile, most Wild fans don’t believe the club will be able to land Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s believed the Wild top Larkin’s four-team list of preferred trade destinations. However, things are at a standstill as the Red Wings search for a new general manager after relieving Steve Yzerman of that role last month. Once that’s settled, however, the Wings are expected to maintain a high price for Larkin.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild reportedly offered up a package of draft picks and prospects for Larkin, but the Wings want a return that will provide immediate help to their roster, including a top-six-forward, preferably a center.
Some observers believe the Red Wings will bend and accept a lesser deal from the Wild because things have reached the point of no return with Larkin. However, the next Wings GM will likely try to mend fences with Larkin. If that fails, he could retain Larkin until a better offer is made, which could prompt the 30-year-old center to expand his trade list.
And speaking of Larkin…
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff dismissed the possibility of Dylan Larkin holding out and not reporting to training camp to put pressure on Wings management to trade him.
Duff pointed out that Larkin has 8.7 million reasons not to stage a holdout. That’s how much his average annual value is, and Duff doesn’t believe Larkin will give the Red Wings a reason not to pay him.
Staging a holdout won’t improve Larkin’s value in the trade market. Duff pointed out that the Red Wings could suspend him without pay if he withholds his services because he’d be breaching his contract. They would then toll the contract forward so that the term doesn’t run out.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staging a holdout to force a trade stands as much of a chance of happening as threatening to retire unless he gets traded. Larkin isn’t going to sacrifice part (or all) of a season and damage his reputation.
Betting more and more that Larkin will be a Red Wing this season. At least for the first 1/2 of the upcoming season. His limiting destinations is the root cause of this determination.
It’s ridiculous to demand a trade and limit where you’ll go to 3 or 4 teams.
Maybe teams don’t want him. I still think he ends up in Columbus.
Not only 3-4 teams, but 3 out 4 who can’t even fit you in. So 1 team.
Which team of the 4 can fit him in, Alex?
I want to be in Detroit on opening night, getting booed mercilessly every time he touches the puck. And for it to go on for a long time (most of the season) Who does he think he is?
and by the way ….doesn’t Larkin have a contract by mutual agreement signed and sealed and at that time it was a great contract…now how about repeating the signed contract; so what is the comment about holding out
I can see why Larkin wants to move, but he also has to own that he has at least been part of the problem and that if he wants to move he has to at least double the number of teams
In my opinion, if the Wild can force feed Spurgon into the Larkin trade that would be a win in its self.
Betting that 2 things happen with Larkin and Detroit. If he becomes too much of a distraction he will be traded quickly. If not,he could be a trade deadline blockbuster when teams that have a legitimate chance at the cup will make their pitch. That might change his mind about having only a small amount of destinations. In that scenario my sleeper choice is Utah!
He’s backed everyone, including himself into a corner. Wings’ fans won’t let him forget it either.
Surely Larkin isn’t as dense as a lamp post. Even a rudimentary scan of the rosters of his 4 preferred destinations shows that every one among Minnesota, Dallas, Vegas and Florida face significant cap and asset constraints that would preclude meeting Detroit’s reasonable demands (including a 1st line C or proven top 6 F) without denuding themselves in key areas.
When the Habs traded Max Pacioretty to VGK he was an unhappy captain with a GM that was publicly knocking him. Conditions couldn’t have been worse and somehow Habs came out on top both short and long term.
To VGK- Pacioretty
To Habs- Tatar, Suzuki, 2nd rd pick
Tatar was a dud for VGK, Suzuki was the player they settled for ( Habs wanted Cody Glass)
2nd rd pick was traded for a 3rd and 5th.
Tatar woke up in Montreal, lined up with Danault and Gallagher and had one of the best position metrics for two years.
Suzuki turned into what he is now, enough said.
The draft picks in the tree didn’t make though there were high expectations for one.
In other words the Wild could put together a package that is better than a disgruntled Larkin.
Yurov, Stramel 2nd round pick for Larkin.
Then I’d move Hughes to NJD for Dawson Mercer, Silayev and Hameenaho
Wild lose Yurov, Stramel, Hughes
Wild get Larkin, Mercer, Silayev, Hameenaho.
You are underrating big times the value of Larkin and Hughes while over inflating the young unproven guys.
For all the Suzuki’s there are plenty of Cody Glass
Minnesota currently has just $1,152,501 in cap reserve. To absorb Larkin’s $8.7 mil hit they’d therefore need to clear some $7.6 mil just to enter the season with $0 in reserve, AND hope that what they’re offering meets Detroit’s demand for at least a top line C or top 6 F. And I doubt Detroit, already on record as indicating they’re not interested in picks or prospects, will move away from that demand, certainly not with an interim GM who doesn’t have that kind of decision-making authority. And who knows when the new GM will enter the picture?
If Larkin is all about winning and playing off games, I don’t understand why he does not increase his team list. Montreal, Buffalo, Utah, Philly, Bruins, and Winnipeg would be good fits. I think it tells you all you need to know about his character that he wants to join the teams that don’t really need him and he wants the easiest path for a chance to win the cup. In my opinion his reputation is damaged.
I can’t see any GM Detroit or otherwise in their right mind saying “leave up to me I’ll see if I can persuade him to stay” Fans are ticked at him. So must be ownership. Expand your list to include Boston that ought to get Sweeney to at least talk with him. Love to see Larkin in Boston Pasta and Larkin Yowzer.
Unless Vegas cuts a guy like W Karlsson or Hertl to make room for Larkin then he isn’t going there. Flo and Dal are a clear no. So only Min is left and it is well documented for their offer of picks/prospects. That means it will take a third team getting involved that is entering or in a rebuild and has interest in dumping a player to get a package of picks/prospects. Most likely candidates are Van, Cgy or Nas.
I see Det having to take either a) a risk of Larkin value tanking and receiving less in a deal or b) a risk on the player(s) they accept for Larkin.
The deal I think makes the most sense is a 3-way with Van, Det and Min. Det sends Larkin to Minny, Van sends Pettersson to Det and Van gets a package of picks/prospects from Min (likely Yurov, Straumel, etc).
Plus to make the cap work Min will need to dump about 7M in salary so Hartman (4.0M) and Maatta (3.5M) would need to go out either in this deal or in a separate deal. Hartman and Maatta have no-trade clauses though so if they won’t waive for Van (likely) then maybe they would go to Det? Otherwise they will need to agree on a destination to go to another city.