The Dylan Larkin situation has hovered over the Detroit Red Wings for months, and a new hypothetical trade proposal would bring it to a dramatic conclusion. This one would send the longtime Red Wings center to an Original Six rival while giving Detroit a massive collection of players and draft capital in return.
Before anybody starts tracking flights between Detroit and Boston, there is an important distinction to make. This is a hypothetical trade proposal constructed using PuckGM, not a report that the Red Wings and Bruins are discussing this deal.
The proposal is still interesting enough to examine because it attempts to answer the biggest question surrounding any potential Larkin trade. If Detroit is actually going to move one of the most important players of its modern era, the return has to be substantial enough to change the direction of the franchise.
Blockbuster Bruins Trade Proposal Sends Dylan Larkin to Boston
Jonathan Vankin highlighted the hypothetical trade proposal Wednesday night, and there are considerably more moving parts than a simple Larkin-for-prospects swap. Detroit would send Larkin and defenseman Albert Johansson to Boston in exchange for a seven-asset package.
The proposed return for Detroit would include Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha and Mason Lohrei, along with Boston’s 2028 first-round pick, 2029 second-round pick and two fourth-round selections. That’s three NHL players and four draft choices coming back to Detroit in exchange for Larkin and Johansson.
This is not an actual trade offer from Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, and it shouldn’t be presented as one. Instead, the size of the hypothetical return gives us an opportunity to examine what Detroit should reasonably be looking for if Larkin is eventually moved.
Casey Mittelstadt Would Give Detroit an Immediate Center
Casey Mittelstadt would be the most obvious immediate replacement for some of the offense Detroit loses by moving Larkin. The former first-round pick would give Todd McLellan an experienced NHL center rather than forcing Detroit to fill Larkin’s lineup spot exclusively with a prospect.
Nobody should confuse Mittelstadt with a one-for-one replacement for Larkin. Larkin has established himself as a legitimate top-line NHL center, and replacing his combination of speed, scoring and ability to drive play would be extraordinarily difficult.
That’s why the rest of this hypothetical package is so important to the conversation. If Detroit trades Larkin, the goal shouldn’t be finding another player who looks vaguely similar on a lineup card but instead improving the overall roster and creating additional avenues for future upgrades.
Mittelstadt could help Detroit navigate the immediate transition without completely solving its long-term problem at center. The Red Wings would still need to identify another high-end option down the middle unless one of their younger players eventually develops into that role.
Pavel Zacha Would Add Another Proven NHL Forward
Pavel Zacha could be one of the more intriguing immediate pieces coming back to Detroit. The veteran forward would give McLellan another proven offensive player capable of contributing immediately rather than forcing the Red Wings to wait several years for the entire return to develop.
Zacha’s versatility would also provide Detroit with options. His ability to play center or wing could allow McLellan to adjust his lines depending on the development of younger players and whatever additional roster moves the Red Wings make.
There would be a significant contractual question attached to Zacha, however. Detroit would need to determine whether it views him as a meaningful part of the organization’s future or as an asset that could eventually be moved again.
That distinction would significantly affect how the Red Wings should value him in any hypothetical Larkin package. A productive forward under long-term team control would carry considerably different value than a player approaching another contract decision.
Mason Lohrei Could Address a Major Red Wings Need
The player with perhaps the most long-term appeal in the proposed package is Mason Lohrei. The 6-foot-5 defenseman has already accumulated meaningful NHL experience after Boston selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Lohrei would also address an organizational area Detroit must continue strengthening. Building a deeper blue line around Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson and the organization’s younger defensemen remains critical if the Red Wings expect to become a consistent playoff team.
Detroit would be surrendering Albert Johansson in the hypothetical trade, so Lohrei wouldn’t simply represent a free addition to the defense corps. The Red Wings would have to determine whether Lohrei’s combination of size, puck-moving ability and long-term upside represents enough of an upgrade to justify that portion of the transaction.
That evaluation matters far more than simply counting how many pieces Detroit receives. A seven-asset return sounds enormous, but the Red Wings need players who can become meaningful pieces of their next competitive roster rather than collecting assets simply to make the trade package appear larger.
Four Draft Picks Give Detroit More Flexibility
The four draft selections included in the proposal significantly change the conversation. Detroit would receive Boston’s 2028 first-round pick, 2029 second-round pick and two fourth-round selections, giving the Red Wings additional assets for both the draft and future trades.
The first-round selection would obviously carry the most value of those four picks. Its eventual worth would depend heavily on where Boston finishes during the 2027-28 season, making it impossible to know today whether Detroit would be acquiring a premium selection or something much later in the opening round.
Accumulating draft capital nevertheless matters for an organization attempting to reshape its roster. A future first-round selection can become a prospect, but it can also become valuable currency when another established player becomes available on the trade market.
That flexibility would be particularly important if Detroit moved Larkin without receiving another legitimate No. 1 center in return. The Red Wings could potentially package some of those additional assets in a future attempt to acquire the player who eventually fills that role.
Boston Makes Sense as a Hypothetical Larkin Destination
There is a logical reason Boston continues to appear whenever potential Larkin destinations are discussed. The Bruins have needed additional help down the middle while already possessing established stars such as David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman.
The idea of Boston pursuing Larkin isn’t entirely new, either. Previous Boston-based analysis has identified Larkin as a potential Bruins target because of the club’s need for a legitimate top-line center.
Larkin would immediately give Boston speed and proven scoring through the middle of the ice. Pairing his ability to attack with Pastrnak could create a dangerous offensive combination while allowing the Bruins to maximize the prime years of their established core.
None of that means Boston has actually offered Detroit anything for Larkin. It simply explains why the Bruins are an easy team to connect to him whenever hypothetical trade discussions begin.
Dylan Larkin Has Significant Control Over Any Trade
There is another complication that no online trade machine can solve. Larkin’s contract gives him substantial control over where he could be traded, meaning Detroit cannot simply identify the highest bidder and complete a deal.
Larkin is under contract through the 2030-31 season at an $8.7 million annual cap hit and possesses significant trade protection. Any serious trade conversation would therefore require cooperation from the player as well as agreement between the two organizations.
That dramatically changes Detroit’s leverage compared with trading a player who has no contractual control over his destination. A massive hypothetical offer from a team Larkin isn’t willing to join wouldn’t help the Red Wings accomplish anything.
It also means Boston appearing in a trade proposal doesn’t automatically make the Bruins a realistic destination. Detroit would first need to know whether Boston is somewhere Larkin would actually be willing to continue his career.
Red Wings Don’t Have to Force a Dylan Larkin Trade
Detroit also has an important form of leverage because Larkin remains under contract. Even if the relationship between player and organization reaches the point where a trade becomes preferable, the Red Wings don’t have to accept an underwhelming return simply to resolve the situation quickly.
That should be especially important considering what Detroit would be giving away. Top-line centers under long-term contracts are extraordinarily difficult to find, and replacing Larkin could prove much harder than trading him.
The Red Wings therefore have every reason to remain patient. If another organization wants Larkin badly enough, Detroit should insist on a return that improves both its current roster and its future outlook.
That is where this Boston proposal becomes more interesting than the average internet trade-machine exercise. It at least attempts to compensate Detroit in several different ways rather than pretending one prospect and a draft pick should be enough.
Would This Boston Package Be Enough for Detroit?
Mittelstadt would give Detroit an NHL center immediately, while Zacha would add another established forward to McLellan’s lineup. Lohrei would provide another young defenseman, and four draft selections would give the organization substantial flexibility for future moves.
There is legitimate value throughout the proposed package, but there are also reasons Detroit could hesitate. Neither Mittelstadt nor Zacha should automatically be viewed as a replacement for everything Larkin provides as a legitimate top-line center.
The timing of the draft picks also matters. The most valuable selection wouldn’t arrive until 2028, meaning an important portion of Detroit’s return could take years before it produces anything at the NHL level.
That would be a major consideration for an organization that has already spent far too long outside the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Trading Larkin shouldn’t automatically require Detroit to tear everything down and begin another lengthy rebuild.
The Red Wings already have established pieces such as Seider, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat, while younger players continue developing around them. Any Larkin trade should therefore give Detroit both future value and a believable path toward becoming a better hockey team before those established players move beyond their primes.
This hypothetical Boston package at least attempts to accomplish both objectives. Detroit would receive NHL players capable of contributing immediately while also adding enough draft capital to create additional opportunities down the road.
Whether the Red Wings would consider that enough is an entirely different question. There is also no evidence that Boston has actually offered this package or that formal negotiations surrounding this specific proposal have occurred.
For now, the deal remains exactly what it started as: an intriguing hypothetical worth debating. It also provides a useful framework for understanding just how substantial the return should be if Detroit eventually decides to move its longtime top-line center.
The Red Wings shouldn’t trade Dylan Larkin simply to end the uncertainty surrounding his future. If they ever make that decision, the return needs to give Detroit multiple ways to become a better hockey team.
A package containing three NHL players and four draft picks would certainly qualify as substantial. Whether those particular seven assets would be enough to convince Detroit is the question that makes this proposal so fascinating.
