Another NHL Insider is building upon the report from Nick Kypreos earlier this week that the Dallas Stars are emerging as potential frontrunners for Dylan Larkin.
The 2026 NHL Draft officially begins on Friday, and for the Detroit Red Wings, they'll have to wait until the second round (47th overall) to make their first selection after trading their first-round pick to the St. Louis Blues in March as part of the Justin Faulk deal.
In the meantime, there have been no official updates from the club itself or Dylan Larkin regarding his explosive trade request that surfaced earlier this month. Larkin has been linked to multiple teams after reportedly initially offering only three clubs he'd accept a move to.
In recent days, the Dallas Stars, who were not part of Larkin's reported three-team trade list, have emerged as a potential suitor. NHL Insider Nick Kypreos reported earlier in the week that he believes the Stars are a frontrunner for Larkin, and now, fellow Insider Jeff Marek is pouring fuel on that report.
Marek joined analysts Nick Alberga and David Pagnotta on "Leafs Morning Take" on Wednesday, and speculated that, considering the ongoing reports that the Stars could look to trade pending RFA forward Jason Robertson, something involving the Red Wings could take place before the start of the Draft.
"Dallas is gonna make news here before Friday," he said. "I think they want the Robertson thing done, and I think they want Dylan Larkin."
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Marek continued:
"They've been slow for a number of years; Dylan Larkin addresses that immediately, and it's not as if Jim Nill and Steve Yzerman don't have a relationship dating back to their days in Detroit," he said. "I think we're looking at that one and wondering if it happens between now and Friday."
The Red Wings would likely want to be sure that Robertson, who will officially be in need of a new contract at midnight on July 1, will be open to signing an extension with the team before acquiring him.
Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger was an Olympic teammate of Larkin in the 2026 Milan Games that resulted in Team USA's first gold medal victory since 1980.
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